President Donald Trump arrived in France today for a meeting with an ideologically diverse group of world leaders who have at least one thing in common: they have all either found themselves the target of Trump's wrath or been forced to go through unpleasant situations with the American leader.
Several G7 leaders have faced Trump's wrath for questioning his war with Iran. Trump has clashed with some over tariffs. And the leaders of Japan and Germany have had to endure his clumsy remarks about dark moments in their countries' history.
During the three-day talks in the French Alps, the leaders are expected to discuss the newly reached agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran, China's trade policy and Russia's war in Ukraine. It will also be a chance to assess their relationship with Trump at a time when the US leader seems more determined than ever to act independently on issues of global importance.
The dynamics of the summit are not much different from a family holiday gathering attended by "an uncle you don't really like," said Max Bergman, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“And nobody wants confrontation, even if things get pretty passive-aggressive at times,” Bergman said. “But, you know, there’s always the possibility that things could explode and it could get pretty dramatic.”
The following is a review of some of the more notable moments of public friction and unpleasant exchanges between Trump and his fellow G7 leaders.
Starmer is not Churchill in Trump's eyes
Trump's criticism of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer focused on the United Kingdom's reluctance to assist US military strikes on Iran, Britain's immigration policy and the country's renewable energy strategies.
But his sharpest criticism of Starmer came after the Labour leader initially refused to allow US military aircraft to use a British base in the Indian Ocean to bomb Iran. “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with,” Trump said of Starmer, making it clear that he did not consider him even remotely the equal of the World War II-era British prime minister.
Trump lashed out at the prime minister in the early days of the war with Iran after the United Kingdom placed the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on high alert for a possible deployment to the Middle East.
"We don't need people joining wars after we've already won them!" Trump said on social media.
The Prime Minister Trump Likes to Call Governor
Trump has been angry about the trade imbalance with Canada, frequently expresses views on annexing Canada and turning it into the "51st state," and has also begun calling Prime Minister Mark Carney "the governor."
His harshest rhetoric toward the leader of America's northern neighbor came after Carney condemned the coercion of large powers over smaller states at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, without mentioning Trump by name.
“Canada exists because of the United States,” Trump said in Davos. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make statements.”
Carney has sought to remain calm despite Trump's provocations. The prime minister told reporters earlier this month that Trump is "an extremely active social media user" and that he will not respond to everything he posts.
Trump mocks Macron's marriage, questions France's reliability
During an Easter lunch at the White House in April, Trump criticized the resistance of France and other NATO countries to help the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Amidst that digression, Trump referenced a viral video from last year that appeared to show Macron's wife Brigitte slapping the French president in the face as they exited a plane during a visit to Vietnam.
Trump told the crowd that Brigitte was treating Macron "extremely badly" and said the French president was "still recovering from a right-handed punch to the jaw."
Macron then told reporters that he and his wife were just joking and said Trump's comments were "neither elegant nor appropriate."
Trump regularly entertains audiences with tales of his deal-making prowess, recounting conversations he had with Macron about trade disputes and mimicking Macron's responses with exaggerated accents. In Trump's version, Macron is always quick to back down.
The Prime Minister Whom Trump Says Lacks Courage
Until recently, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni enjoyed great respect from Trump.
In October, Trump was full of praise for the conservative prime minister when world leaders gathered in Egypt for a summit dedicated to post-war Gaza, calling her a "very successful, very successful politician" and "beautiful."
However, Trump has since changed his tone after Italy refused to help the US in the war against Iran, and the prime minister criticized Trump for clashing with Pope Leo XIV over that conflict.
"Do people like her? I can't believe it," Trump said of Meloni to the Milanese newspaper Corriere della Sera. He added: "I thought she had courage. I was wrong."
An Uncomfortable Historical Reference in the Oval Office
Trump has not publicly criticized the Japanese prime minister directly since October, when Sanae Takaichi took office.
However, some of his comments during Takaichi's first visit to the White House put the prime minister in an uncomfortable situation.
When asked by a Japanese journalist why he did not notify allies in Europe and Asia before the US attacked Iran, Trump casually mentioned Pearl Harbor to justify his decision.
"Who knows what a surprise is better than Japan?" Trump said as Takaichi stood next to him. "Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, okay?"
Trump's remarks surprised many in Japan, where they are accustomed to American presidents avoiding heated discussions about Japan's surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, which brought the United States into World War II. His predecessors instead focused on deepening ties with Japan, which became an ally after the war.
Takaichi, a staunch conservative, received both praise and criticism in Japan for not reacting to Trump's comments, instead letting them pass while glancing at ministers sitting nearby.
Chancellor's criticism of war with Iran angers Trump
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz angered Trump in April when he said Iran was "humiliating" the US and criticized it for entering the war without any strategy, saying it made it more difficult to end the conflict.
Trump hit back on social media the next day, saying that Merck "should spend more time ending the war between Russia and Ukraine" and "solving the problems in his country, especially immigration and energy."
A few days later, the Pentagon announced that it would withdraw about 5.000 US troops from Germany, and Trump indicated that he would seek to reduce the US military presence "significantly further."
Trump also had an unpleasant exchange with Merck when the chancellor visited the White House last year, on the eve of the solemn anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of Allied operations that led to the liberation of Western Europe, the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II.
Merz was referring to the anniversary while arguing that the US was once again in a position to help end a conflict of enormous importance to Europe - Russia's war against Ukraine - when Trump interrupted him by saying that D-Day "was not a pleasant day for you".
The Chancellor reminded Trump that the day also marked the beginning of "the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship."
Trump admitted that Merck was right.
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