Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee took a sharp jab at French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, mocking the French leader for opposing President Donald Trump’s threats to take Greenland from Denmark and questioning France’s standing on the world stage.
Ogles made the remarks during an appearance with One America News host and former congressman Matt Gaetz, who asked him about France’s resistance to the idea of the United States annexing Greenland. Ogles dismissed Macron’s opposition outright, portraying it as unserious and hypocritical given America’s role in global security.
Calling the situation “preposterous,” Ogles said he was not trying to be mean but argued that Macron lacks the credibility to lecture the United States. He mocked the French president by saying Macron could not even “defend himself from his wife,” let alone stand up to adversaries internationally. Ogles then pivoted to a broader argument about American power, declaring that the United States is the keeper of global peace.
According to Ogles, if other countries want America to continue playing that role, it must maintain a stronger presence around the world. He said that includes making Greenland a protectorate of the United States so America can do what he described as its job of keeping the world safe.
Ogles went on to argue that such a move would not only benefit the United States but would also help the people of Greenland. He claimed that Greenlanders have wanted independence from Denmark for hundreds of years but have been unable to achieve it. In his view, the United States now has an opportunity to “set them free,” unlock the island’s resources for their benefit, and make the world safer in the process.
He said that message aligns with what President Trump has been signaling globally, framing the Greenland push as both a strategic necessity and a moral good.
Ogles’ remark about Macron appeared to reference a widely circulated video from last year that showed what looked like a tense moment between the French president and his wife, Brigitte Macron. In the footage, she was seen pushing her hand into his face, sparking online speculation about a domestic dispute. Macron later downplayed the incident, telling reporters that his wife had simply been joking.
The comments come amid an escalating exchange between Trump and Macron. The two leaders traded barbs this week after Macron declined an invitation to join the Trump administration’s controversial “Board of Peace.” Asked about Macron’s refusal on Monday evening, Trump dismissed the French president, saying nobody wanted him and predicting he would soon be out of office.
Trump added that if France became hostile, he would consider imposing a 200 percent tariff on French wines and champagne, joking that such pressure would quickly bring Macron around. Shortly afterward, Trump posted a private text message from Macron inviting him to dinner in Paris on Thursday, highlighting what appeared to be a contrast between Macron’s public stance and private outreach.
Macron fired back on Tuesday during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he warned that the world was shifting toward a dangerous era. He said international law was being trampled and claimed that the only rule increasingly being followed was that of the strongest, with what he called imperial ambitions resurfacing.
The exchange underscored rising tensions between Trump and European leaders as the debate over Greenland, global power, and the future of international order continues to intensify.
