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Justin Trudeau Is ‘Two-Faced,’ Trump Says of Comments Caught on Video Trump Calls Trudeau ‘Two-Faced’ After Comments Caught on Video
(32 minutes later)
LONDON — It was a NATO anniversary celebration designed specifically to avoid unwanted disruptions. LONDON — President Trump on Wednesday called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada “two-faced,” after a video surfaced that showed Mr. Trudeau venting to other world leaders about Mr. Trump’s behavior at a NATO anniversary celebration designed specifically to avoid unwanted disruptions.
But those drama-free plans were upended on Tuesday when President Emmanuel Macron of France aggressively challenged President Trump during a televised appearance. And early Wednesday brought another surprise, as a brief video surfaced showing grinning world leaders at a Buckingham Palace reception the night before, apparently commiserating about Mr. Trump’s behavior. Mr. Trump was asked about the video while taking questions from reporters ahead of a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
In the video, which was posted online by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada seems to be venting about Mr. Trump’s behavior during the first day of the two-day NATO meeting. Mr. Trump spoke to reporters for more than two hours in total on Tuesday, which appeared to astonish Mr. Trudeau. “Well, he’s two-faced,” the president said. After a long pause, he added, “He’s a nice guy. I find him to be a very nice guy.”
“He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference at the top,” Mr. Trudeau says to a small group that includes Mr. Macron, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and Princess Anne. Mr. Trump said the comments had stemmed from his pressuring Mr. Trudeau to increase Canada’s military spending to 2 percent of its economic output.
Asked about the video on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said of the Canadian premier, “well, he’s two-faced.” He claimed that Mr. Trudeau’s comments were a reaction to his pressure on Canada to increase military spending to reach the target set by NATO, 2 percent of its GDP. “He should be paying more than he’s paying,” Mr. Trump said. “I called him out on that, and I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it, but that’s the way it is.”
“He should be paying more than he’s paying,” Mr. Trump said. “I can imagine he’s not that happy, but that’s the way it is.” The brief video showed grinning world leaders at a Buckingham Palace reception on Tuesday night, apparently commiserating about the president.
In the video, which was posted online by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Trudeau seems to be venting about Mr. Trump’s behavior during the first day of the two-day NATO meeting. Mr. Trump spoke to reporters for more than two hours in total on Tuesday, which appeared to astonish Mr. Trudeau.
“He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference at the top,” Mr. Trudeau says to a small group that includes President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and Princess Anne.
Mr. Trudeau does not mention Mr. Trump by name during the exchange, at which the Canadian leader appears to be discussing the day’s bilateral meetings.Mr. Trudeau does not mention Mr. Trump by name during the exchange, at which the Canadian leader appears to be discussing the day’s bilateral meetings.
“You just watch his team’s jaws drop to the floor,” Mr. Trudeau says at another point. Mr. Macron is also seen participating animatedly in the conversation, but his comments cannot be heard. Mr. Johnson is seen smiling.“You just watch his team’s jaws drop to the floor,” Mr. Trudeau says at another point. Mr. Macron is also seen participating animatedly in the conversation, but his comments cannot be heard. Mr. Johnson is seen smiling.
None of the world leaders seem to realize that the conversation is being recorded.None of the world leaders seem to realize that the conversation is being recorded.
Mr. Trump was put on the defensive on Tuesday by Mr. Macron, who during a tense 45-minute appearance aggressively challenged the American president’s vision for NATO and his handling of a military conflict involving Turkey. For Mr. Trump, it was a rare face-to-face meeting with another world leader in which he was not driving the conversation. It was not the only moment that upended hopes for a drama-free NATO summit. On Tuesday, Mr. Macron put Mr. Trump on the defensive during a tense 45-minute appearance in which he aggressively challenged the American president’s vision for NATO and his handling of a military conflict involving Turkey. For Mr. Trump, it was a rare face-to-face meeting with another world leader in which he was not driving the conversation.
Mr. Trudeau participated in a more genial meeting with Mr. Trump later Tuesday. Mr. Trudeau participated in a more genial meeting with Mr. Trump later Tuesday. But it was also not the first time that the two leaders have clashed, or that Mr. Trump has accused Mr. Trudeau of misrepresenting himself. Last year, Mr. Trump derided the Canadian leader as “very dishonest and weak” after Mr. Trudeau pledged at a Group of 7 summit in Quebec City that he would retaliate against United States tariffs on steel and aluminum products. Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter at the time that Mr. Trudeau had acted “so meek and mild” when they met face to face.
Mr. Trump has long bridled at the idea of other world leaders poking fun at the United States, and part of his 2016 presidential campaign pitch to voters was that his election would change how America was viewed abroad. “The world is laughing at us,” he said frequently during the campaign, criticizing the leadership of President Barack Obama.Mr. Trump has long bridled at the idea of other world leaders poking fun at the United States, and part of his 2016 presidential campaign pitch to voters was that his election would change how America was viewed abroad. “The world is laughing at us,” he said frequently during the campaign, criticizing the leadership of President Barack Obama.
In June 2017, when he announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, Mr. Trump said: “We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won’t be. They won’t be.”In June 2017, when he announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, Mr. Trump said: “We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won’t be. They won’t be.”
In 2018, laughter broke out at the United Nations General Assembly when Mr. Trump claimed that his administration had “accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.”In 2018, laughter broke out at the United Nations General Assembly when Mr. Trump claimed that his administration had “accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.”
The president insisted at the time that he was not the target, saying, “They weren’t laughing at me, they were laughing with me.”The president insisted at the time that he was not the target, saying, “They weren’t laughing at me, they were laughing with me.”
None of the NATO leaders publicly acknowledged the uncomfortable video. But the clip loomed over the gathering of NATO leaders on Wednesday morning at The Grove, a country resort in Hertfordshire, where they met for a group photograph and welcome ceremony. None of the NATO leaders publicly acknowledged that they were talking about Mr. Trump in the uncomfortable video. But the clip loomed over the gathering of NATO leaders on Wednesday morning at The Grove, a country resort in Hertfordshire, where they met for a group photograph and welcome ceremony.
The leaders took the stage one at a time to greet Mr. Johnson and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, and pose briefly before the assembled news cameras.The leaders took the stage one at a time to greet Mr. Johnson and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, and pose briefly before the assembled news cameras.
Mr. Johnson greeted Mr. Trudeau with a handshake and a soft pat on the arm as they stood onstage together. Mr. Macron said hello to Mr. Johnson with a tap on the hand, and lingered, making jovial small talk before exiting the stage.Mr. Johnson greeted Mr. Trudeau with a handshake and a soft pat on the arm as they stood onstage together. Mr. Macron said hello to Mr. Johnson with a tap on the hand, and lingered, making jovial small talk before exiting the stage.
Mr. Trump arrived late, and shortly before he was due to emerge on the stage, an aide appeared to inform Mr. Johnson of a delay.Mr. Trump arrived late, and shortly before he was due to emerge on the stage, an aide appeared to inform Mr. Johnson of a delay.
“We’re live now,” Mr. Johnson, who seemed perturbed, said to the aide before asking how long the delay would be. “A half an hour? 45 minutes?”“We’re live now,” Mr. Johnson, who seemed perturbed, said to the aide before asking how long the delay would be. “A half an hour? 45 minutes?”
“How are we doing?” Johnson asked the aide few minutes later. “Come on!”“How are we doing?” Johnson asked the aide few minutes later. “Come on!”
After the two co-hosts lingered onstage for about five minutes, rocking back and forth on their heels, Mr. Trump emerged and patted Mr. Johnson on the back.After the two co-hosts lingered onstage for about five minutes, rocking back and forth on their heels, Mr. Trump emerged and patted Mr. Johnson on the back.
Later in the morning, Mr. Trump politely shook hands and exchanged a few words with Mr. Trudeau before a plenary session. Mr. Trump also wrote on Twitter that he had “enjoyed my meeting with the Prime Minister @BorisJohnson of the United Kingdom at @10DowningStreet last night,” noting that the two had discussed “numerous subjects including @NATO and Trade.” Later in the morning, Mr. Trump politely shook hands and exchanged a few words with Mr. Trudeau before the general meeting of NATO leaders. Mr. Trump also wrote on Twitter that he had “enjoyed my meeting with the Prime Minister @BorisJohnson of the United Kingdom at @10DowningStreet last night,” noting that the two had discussed “numerous subjects including @NATO and Trade.”
Mr. Trump was also scheduled to meet on Wednesday with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who was not among the leaders seen in the video but has had her own frosty on-camera interactions with Mr. Trump. During a news conference, Mr. Johnson claimed that he had not been party to any discussion about Mr. Trump. “That’s complete nonsense, and I don’t know where that has come from,” he said. “I really don’t know what is being referred to there.”
He was also scheduled to hold meetings with the prime minsters of Denmark and Italy, and to participate in a working lunch with representatives of Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Britain. In addition to Mr. Trump’s meeting with Ms. Merkel, he was scheduled to hold meetings with the prime minsters of Denmark and Italy, and to participate in a working lunch with representatives of Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Britain.
Mr. Trump was also expected to hold a news conference before his departure. Mr. Trump was also expected to hold a news conference before his departure, but on Wednesday he appeared to cancel those plans.
The viral video clip was not only seen as a potential embarassment for Mr. Trump. Mr. Trudeau also drew criticism for speaking so freely in a setting where his remarks could be caught by a hot mic. “We’ll go directly back,” he said. “I think we’ve done plenty of press conferences. Unless you’re demanding a press conference. But I think we’ve answered plenty of questions.”
“By this point in his tenure the Prime Minister should realise that events with pool cameras need to be approached and managed as on the record events,” Andrew MacDougall, a former spokesman for Mr. Trudeau’s conservative predecessor, prime minister Stephen Harper wrote on Twitter. The viral video clip was not only seen as a potential embarrassment for Mr. Trump. Mr. Trudeau also drew criticism for speaking so freely in a setting where his remarks could be recorded.
“Hopefully this gaffe doesn’t wind the President up at a sensitive time” for United States-Canada relations, he said. “By this point in his tenure, the prime minister should realise that events with pool cameras need to be approached and managed as on the record events,” Andrew MacDougall, who was a spokesman for Mr. Trudeau’s predecessor, Stephen Harper, wrote on Twitter.
“Hopefully this gaffe doesn’t wind the President up at a sensitive time” for United States-Canada relations, Mr. MacDougall wrote.