France: Trump should have shown ‘common decency’ on anniversary of Paris attacks

A French government spokesman on Wednesday lashed out at President Trump over the president’s tweets on Tuesday, saying Trump should have shown “common decency” instead of attacking the country and French President Emmanuel Macron as the country observed the anniversary of deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

“Yesterday was Nov. 13, we were commemorating the murder of 130 of our people,” spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said, according to Reuters. “So I’ll reply in English: ‘common decency’ would have been appropriate.”

{mosads}Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attacks in France’s history when gunmen opened fire on pedestrians and concertgoers at the Bataclan concert hall and targeted spectators at a stadium with suicide bombs.

Trump criticized Macron and France in a series of tweets on Tuesday morning over trade, warnings about nationalism and the suggestion that Europe should prepare an army to defend itself against potential threats from China, Russia or even the U.S.

While Macron indicated in comments over the weekend that Europe should not rely on others for defense, Trump has seized on those comments as a sign of aggression.

Trump’s Tuesday Twitter tirade came after a weekend trip to France to mark the centennial of the armistice that ended World War I, where he stoked controversy when he skipped a visit to an American cemetery due to weather and travel concerns and underscored a growing divide between the U.S. and its European allies.

Macron delivered thinly veiled criticism of Trump in a speech where he warned that nationalism is a “betrayal of patriotism” and poses a threat to global relations. Trump has in recent weeks embraced the term nationalist.