Emmanuel Macron: French President calls Donald Trump from New York street after being stopped by police
Even heads of state aren’t immune to Manhattan gridlock, as French President Emmanuel Macron found out on Monday when a New York police officer stopped him from crossing the street to make way for US President Donald Trump’s motorcade.
Unlike most New Yorkers, however, Mr Macron simply picked up his phone and called Mr Trump from the sidewalk, joking about the situation in a moment caught on video and widely shared online.
“I’m sorry, Mr President, I’m really sorry,” said a visibly apologetic officer to Mr Macron, who was trying to cross with his delegation.
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“If you don’t see it, let me cross. I negotiate with you,” Mr Macron replied, making light of the stand-off and referencing the diplomatic talks at this week’s United Nations General Assembly.
Still stuck at the barricade, Mr Macron pulled out his phone and rang Mr Trump. “How are you? Guess what, I’m waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you,” he said, before noting he hoped to have a brief discussion with Mr Trump and Qatari officials about the Gaza conflict.
Mr Macron was eventually allowed to continue on foot, though not in his car. Still speaking on his phone, he walked down the street alongside shoppers and pedestrians, trailed by his security detail.
A source close to the French President confirmed to Reuters the two leaders spoke during Mr Macron’s walk, adding the call was “warm and friendly” and touched on several international matters.
According to Brut, the French President ended up walking for about 30 minutes, stopping to pose for photos with people along the way, including one man who kissed him on the forehead.
“The time has come to end the war in Gaza, the massacres and the death,” Mr Macron said earlier during his opening speech to a special UN summit on Monday evening.
“The time has come to do justice for the Palestinian people and thus to recognise the state of Palestine in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.”
In that same address, Mr Macron formally announced France’s recognition of Palestine and laid out a proposal for a UN-mandated international stabilisation force to oversee postwar Gaza, a plan likely to receive backing from many nations but not from Israel or the United States.
