U.S. President Donald Trump praised French first lady Brigitte Macron for being in "such good shape" on Thursday during his state visit to France, according to a video on the French government's Facebook page.
Trump, 71, who has come under fire for his comments about women's appearances, and his wife, Melania, 47, met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte, 64, at Hotel des Invalides, where Napoleon Bonaparte and other French war heroes are buried.
After a tour, Trump turned to the French first lady, gestured toward her and said: "You're in such good shape."
After repeating the comment to the president, Trump turned back to Brigitte Macron and said: "Beautiful." Her response was unclear.
Social media immediately reacted to the video with many users denouncing Trump's comments as sexist.
"#Trump telling France's First Lady 'you're in such good shape' epitomizes men toeing the line between compliment & sexual harassment," wrote Twitter user Alex Berg (@AlexfromPhilly), a free-lance video producer and writer who works on feminist and gender issues.
Jen Siebel Newsom, a documentary maker and actress, (@JenSiebelNewsom) said on Twitter: "Mr. Trump - Women do not want to hear unsolicited remarks on what you think of their bodies. Its gross, and deeply inappropriate."
The White House declined to comment on the exchange. The couples dined together at a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower on Thursday night.
Brigitte Macron was once the 39-year-old French president's high school teacher. He is the country's youngest leader since Napoleon two centuries ago.
Trump has been denounced for comments deemed sexist, including criticizing the looks of former presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina, comedian Rosie O'Donnell, media figure Ariana Huffington and models Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum. His presidential campaign was rocked in October by the release of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape in which he talked about grabbing women by the crotch.
Trump recently attacked MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski on Twitter, calling her “low I.Q. Crazy Mika” and saying she was "bleeding badly from a facelift" at a gathering at his Florida resort around New Year's.
Reuters
Fri Jul 14 2017
Brigitte Macron (L), wife of French President Emmanuel Macron (R), US President Donald Trump (2ndL) and First lady Melania Trump pose at their table at the Jules Verne restaurant for a private dinner at the Eiffel Tower, France, July 13,2017. REUTERS
Four bodies recovered from capsized tourist boat off Egypt's Red Sea coast
The boat, the Sea Story, capsized on Monday near the Sataya Reef while carrying 31 tourists and 13 crew on a multi-day diving trip.
UTP introduced a first-of-its-kind Bachelor of Integrated Engineering with Honours
UTP has proudly unveiled Malaysia's first multidisciplinary engineering programme.
Biden to push for Gaza ceasefire after Israel-Lebanon deal
The US "will make another push, with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others, to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza," says Joe Biden.
JPS issues flood warning, 30 villages in Pasir Puteh expected to be inundated
Flooding is expected near Sungai Semerak, Pasir Puteh, affecting low-lying villages within 5km of the river, according to PRABN.
What Trump 2.0 could mean for trade, migrants, climate change and electric cars
Here's a summary of the policies Donald Trump has said he will pursue when he takes office on Jan. 20.
UN says Taliban detained journalists over 250 times in Afghanistan since takeover
The Taliban-led foreign ministry denies having arrested that number of journalists and added that those arrested had committed a crime.
TikTok becoming app of choice for criminals promoting investment scams - Police
Many users continue to be tricked and scammed even though police have repeatedly issued warnings about scams proliferating on social media.
MOE’s mental health screening identifies students with emotional challenges
Deputy Minister of Education says, those identified with severe emotional issues undergo screening twice a year.
Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire brokered by US and France, to take effect Wednesday
Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as Lebanon's army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there.
'No one will win a trade war,' China says after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump says he would impose the tariffs until China stops the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States.
What has caused Pakistan's deadly clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan?
Topping the demands of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the release of all its leaders, including Khan, who has been jailed on a series of corruption charges since August 2023.
Myanmar rebel army ready for dialogue with junta, with China's help
China puts pressure on rebels amid the rapid degeneration of the military, which Beijing has long seen as a guarantor of stability.
One woman or girl killed every 10 minutes by intimate partner or family member - UN
The report highlights that "60 per cent of all female homicides" are committed by "people closely related to them".
Malaysia ready to collaborate with South Korea on more substantial matters - PM
Malaysia seeks deeper collaboration with South Korea on digitalization, AI, and advanced learning curve discussions.
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Israel poised to approve ceasefire with Hezbollah, Israeli official says
Israel's security cabinet is expected to discuss and likely approve the text at a meeting chaired by Benjamin Netanyahu, says an official.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.