Trump rates Macron ‘an 8’ as France and US split over Middle East strategy

Trump rates Macron ‘an 8’ as France and US split over Middle East strategy

Former U.S. assistant secretary of state David Schenker says France has 'potential influence that they never use' to pressure Hezbollah, as violence in Lebanon has surged 400% since the war began, according to ACLED.

President Donald Trump struck a mixed tone on France’s role Thursday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump struck a mixed tone on France’s role Thursday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

A fireball rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburbs overnight March 10 to March 11, 2026. (Fadel itani / AFP via Getty Images)

A fireball rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburbs overnight March 10 to March 11, 2026. (Fadel itani / AFP via Getty Images)

Hezbollah launches long-range missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel within 48 hours of strikes on Iran, escalating the widening conflict amid Operation Epic Fury. (Hadi Mizban/AP)

Hezbollah launches long-range missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel within 48 hours of strikes on Iran, escalating the widening conflict amid Operation Epic Fury. (Hadi Mizban/AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with President-Elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Donald Trump was among the wave of foreign dignitaries descending on Paris this weekend to attend a reopening ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral, more than five years after it was damaged in a major fire. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with President-Elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Donald Trump was among the wave of foreign dignitaries descending on Paris this weekend to attend a reopening ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral, more than five years after it was damaged in a major fire. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)