Donald Trump has an odd way of saying thank you. Last week, the French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the joint celebration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day at substantial expense to his country. POTUS had been doing a very good job of acting more or less presidential. Of course, there were the expected blunders, but this is 100 percent pure Trump.
The president singled out the French wine industry to attack, days after the celebration:
‘On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!’
The commander-in-chief decided out of the blue to threaten France with tariffs on their wines. He said the French industry was being unfair to him. POTUS said the French unfairly tariffs the U.S. with its wine imports and exports.
Trump went on to berate the French industry, CNBC reported:
‘You know, France charges us a lot for the wine and yet we charge them little for French wine.’
His threat on French wines seems like an odd choice. He could have attacked the German beers. He could have gone after the Swiss chocolates or the woolen kilts from Scotland. Trump could have gone after Italian pasta or Greek olives, but no, he went after the wine industry. Guess what? The Trump family just happened to own a winery. Its website read:
‘From our award-winning wines to memorable events to our world-class accommodations, there are innumerous ways to experience the magic of Trump Winery. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along central Virginia’s Monticello Wine Trail, Trump Winery’s stunning 1,300-acre estate lies just a few miles from James Monroe’s Highland and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the birthplace of American viticulture.
Second son, Eric Trump’s job has been running the wine arm of the family business. The Trump Vineyard site reads :
‘We pride ourselves on creating the finest terroir-driven sparkling, white, and red wines, which have won numerous national and international medals and best-in-class designations. Planted with 227 acres of French vinifera varieties, Trump Winery is Virginia’s largest vineyard and the largest vinifera vineyard on the East Coast.’
Apparently, Trump talked to Macron about wine tariffs when he was the French president’s guest in a lovely old castle. The last time the U.S. president came back from France, he wanted a better military parade than they gave him. Hopefully, Trump will not decide to renovate the White House with turrets and a draw bridge. POTUS continued with his rant on CNBC:
‘And you know what, it’s not fair. We’ll do something about it.’
Trump apparently does not know that the duties on wine were set by the European Union. He was talking to the wrong people about the problem.
The U.S. president does not drink, but this has been on his mind for quite some time. With all of his upscale resorts, he probably does have a personal beef on the cost of wine. Last November he said:
‘(France)Â makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs.’
The Trump vineyard and resort boasts “gourmet cuisine” and “sweeping vineyard views,” but not everyone has a taste for Trump wines. They may want to choose a French wine:
‘Since opening in 2011, our Tasting Room has delighted guests with its warm atmosphere, gourmet cuisine, and sweeping vineyard views. Our unparalleled hospitality and engaging lineup of signature events transform first-time visitors into enthusiastic regulars. With multiple awe-inspiring and fully-customizable event venues, we have the ongoing honor of being a part of our guests’ most important celebrations.’
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