Former U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed he directly pressured French President Emmanuel Macron to increase prescription drug prices in France, threatening sweeping tariffs on French imports if his demands were not met. The remarks, reportedly made during a discussion with Republican lawmakers, shed light on Trump’s controversial ‘Most Favored Nation’ policy and its impact on global healthcare costs.
Trump asserted that Americans were paying significantly higher prices for pharmaceuticals compared to other countries, arguing that the U.S. had been effectively subsidizing global healthcare for decades. He stated that his administration’s policy aimed to rectify this perceived imbalance.
According to Trump, he explicitly demanded that Macron raise drug prices in France, emphasizing that Americans were paying as much as ’14 times the price’. He then described an alleged exchange where Macron initially resisted the pressure.
Trump recounted threatening a 25 percent tariff on all French products if Macron did not comply. He mimicked Macron’s supposed plea, saying, ‘I told him, Emmanuel, if you don’t agree to everything we want by Monday, I’m putting a 25 percent tax on all products coming from France!’ He then imitated Macron’s voice, claiming the French President responded with, ‘No, no, no, you can’t do that!’
Trump further claimed that, after deliberation, Macron conceded to the demand. ‘Emmanuel told me… It’s a deal, Donald, I’ll be happy to raise my prescription drug prices by 200 percent, whatever you want, Donald, but please, don’t tell the people,’ Trump stated, again mimicking Macron’s voice. The veracity of Trump’s account remains unconfirmed. The alleged exchange has sparked debate regarding international trade relations and pharmaceutical pricing policies.
DZWatch is continuing to investigate this developing story.
