French president Emmanuel Macron’s embarrassing choice of words as he congratulates Trump
French President Emmanuel Macron was ridiculed online for his choice of words as he congratulated President-elect Donald Trump.
The 46-year-old was one of several world leaders who went to X to toast Trump on his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Congratulations President @realDonaldTrump,” Macron wrote, using the handle for the president-elect.
‘Ready to work together as we have done for four years. With your beliefs and mine. With respect and ambition for more peace and prosperity.’
But Macron’s message quickly came under scrutiny for his use of the word “convictions,” given Trump’s felony convictions, with some calling him a “boss-level troll.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has been labeled a troll for his message congratulating President-elect Donald Trump on his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris
He said he was “ready to work together, as we have done for four years.” With your beliefs and mine. With respect and ambition for more peace and prosperity’
A member of the French President’s communications team urged The Huffington Post“The word ‘convictions’ in the President’s tweet indicates convictions and cannot be associated with the meaning of convictions as sentencing/sanctions.”
Still, many X users called out Macron for what they called his “trolling” of Trump.
“Trying to figure out if Macron has actually reached Boss Level troll status by mentioning Trump’s ‘beliefs,'” one wrote, while another deemed Macros the “best troll in history.”
Henry Morris, a retired Tory MP, also commented: ‘His convictions. All 34,” while a fourth suggested: “Convictions don’t translate well.”
Macron’s message quickly came under scrutiny for his use of the word “convictions,” given Trump’s felony convictions
Trump was previously found guilty on all counts in his historic criminal trial over the “hush money” paid to Stormy Daniels in New York City in May.
The jury of seven men and five women at Manhattan Criminal Court deliberated nearly 10 hours before convicting the former president of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of up to four years in prison, but Judge Juan Merchan could decide to impose a lesser sentence on the president-elect, such as probation, house arrest, community service or even a fine.
The judge also gave himself until November 12 to decide whether Trump’s conviction should be thrown out entirely following the Supreme Court’s ruling that granted Trump partial presidential immunity.
A spokesperson for the French president stressed that “the word ‘convictions’ in the president’s tweet means convictions and cannot be associated with the meaning of convictions as condemnation/sanctions”
Should Merchan decide to uphold the conviction, Trump’s lawyers are expected to seek a deferred sentencing so they can appeal.
If this proves unsuccessful, lawyers would likely go to the appellate courts to appeal the immunity decision, which would also delay Trump’s sentencing, possibly by several months.
Trump’s lawyers are also likely to use their appeal in the case to question whether a state judge can convict even a newly elected president, leaving the case to be fought out in the courts for years.
But even once Trump is sworn into office, he will not have the power to pardon himself because it is a matter of state.
In the meantime, Trump is scheduled to appear for sentencing on November 26.
Trump also faces four charges in federal court for allegedly spreading false claims of election fraud in an attempt to block the collection and certification of votes for the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
The president-elect previously asked federal courts to grant him presidential immunity, delaying the case in Washington, D.C., for months, although the federal judge overseeing the case is still deciding to what extent Trump is actually covered by presidential immunity for his efforts to to undo his 2020 treaty. election loss.
Trump was found guilty on all counts in his historic criminal trial over the ‘hush money’ paid to Stormy Daniels in New York City in May
Since Trump won’t be sworn in until Inauguration Day on January 20, US Special Counsel Jack Smith has time to consider his next steps before Trump is likely to make good on his promise to fire Smith.
One question is whether Trump, as newly elected president, would have the same legal protections from prosecution as a sitting president, which would be decided by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.
Smith had also accused Trump of unlawfully withholding classified documents from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after his first term expired in 2021 and obstructing US government efforts to retrieve the documents.
Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was nominated to the court by Trump, dismissed all charges in July after finding that Smith was improperly appointed to the role and lacked standing to hear the case.
The ruling brought an abrupt end to the case and ensured that no trial would take place before the presidential election.
Smith’s team is appealing the ruling, but Trump’s promise to fire Smith “within two seconds” of taking office likely spells the end of the case.
Smith is also now said to be in talks with the Justice Department to drop both federal prosecutions, after spending three years and more than $35 million in taxpayer money trying to bring the 78-year-old to justice.
Special counsel Jack Smith is said to be in talks with the Justice Department to end both federal prosecutions of Trump
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, have used state racketeering laws designed to combat organized crime to charge Trump with an alleged conspiracy to overturn his defeat in the battleground state in the 2020 election to make.
The newly elected president will not be able to stop the prosecution, but his lawyer has said in court that they will try to pause any activity related to Trump based on the argument that a president should not face the burden of criminal prosecution while in office .
Trump and eight of his 14 co-defendants in the case are also asking a Georgia appeals court to disqualify the lead prosecutor, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, over alleged misconduct stemming from a romantic relationship she had with a fellow prosecutor.
Oral arguments are scheduled for December 5.