Inside the tumultuous relationship between Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron

In the three years since the two world leaders first met each other, US President Donald Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron's relationship has slowly deteriorated. 

Trump, who once said he has a "great relationship" with Macron, on Tuesday told reporters that comments by the French leader were "very, very nasty" and "insulting". 

Trump's statements were in response to an interview Macron had with The Economist last month where he said the NATO defense alliance was experiencing "brain death," claiming the US withdrew troops from Syria without consulting alliance partners. 

The tension between the two world leaders indicates a dramatic deterioration since they shared lengthy handshakes and Trump picked dandruff off Macron's shoulder to prepare him for a photo. 

Here's how Trump and Macron's relationship has evolved since meeting in 2017. 

May 25, 2017

In their first meeting in Brussels before a NATO summit shortly after Macron's election, the duo was seen shaking each other's hands for an uncomfortably long time before Trump finally pulled away. 

 At the time, Trump was widely speculated to support Macron's hard-right opponent Marine Le Pen in the French presidential elections, who he said had a tougher stance on borders. 

On the same day, Trump — who has a penchant for awkward handshakes — was seen pulling Macron's hand while shaking it after Macron chose to greet German Chancellor Angela Merkel first. 

"Because these six countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force," he continued.

In response, Trump claimed Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau charged massive tariffs on US goods. 

November 13, 2018 

After Macron suggested that Europe strengthen its own military capabilities, Trump slammed France saying, "They were starting to learn German in Paris before the US came along an apparent dig at France's occupation by Germany during World War II. 

In a speech, Macron warned that Europe couldn't longer depend on the US for its military defense and called for urgent new security policies in the face of rising nationalism and extremism.

Trump then volleyed back, and called Macron's comments "very insulting" and claimed that France charges large tariffs on US products. 

Macron, Trump said in a tweet, has a very low approval rating and high unemployment numbers. 

June 12, 2019 

Macron announced he would send Trump a new "friendship tree" to be planted at the White House after the original died, a week after he encouraged the US to fight for the freedom of others. 

The original tree was brought over from Belleau Wood in France, where about 2,000 American servicemen died during World War I.

A week before Macron said he would send another tree, he attended a D-Day commemoration in France with Trump. 

In a speech at the commemoration, Macron said: "The United States is never greater than when it is fighting for the freedom of others. The United States of America is never greater than when it shows its loyalty."

December 3, 2019 

On the sidelines of a NATO summit, Trump said Macron made a "very, very nasty statement" when he described NATO as brain-dead in an interview with The Economist in November. 

Macron made the statement while discussing Trump's withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria in October, and slammed Trump for not warning NATO of the planned withdrawal. 

After Trump called Macron's comments "insulting," he then claimed  France's economy was suffering, and referred to the yearlong "yellow vest" protests against Macron's pro-business economic policies.

The US also threatened to add tariffs on French cheese, champagne, make-up and handbags after France started taxing US digital companies such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook.

Later that day, Macron was recorded in a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in which the three laughed at Trump's antics. 

That probably didn't go over well.

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