All eyes were on French President Emmanuel Macron Sunday at the end of the first day of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris after he announced a €109 billion investment package (around $112 billion at current exchange rates) in the French AI ecosystem. He reiterated this financial commitment from private partners willing to build […]
Elon Musk has focused on European politics in many X posts.
Yui Mok/PA/Getty Images
The leaders of the UK, Germany, and France have condemned Elon Musk's comments about Europe.
His frequent X posts have become increasingly extreme in recent days.
It's not clear how these interventions benefit Musk, but they don't appear to be hurting him either.
Donald Trump is less than two weeks away from being sworn in as president for the second time. But, after spending hundreds of millions helping him return to the White House in an election he said would decide "the fate of Western civilization," Elon Musk is increasingly focused on European politics.
Musk has said he became outspoken on politics to "defeat the woke mind virus." Since Trump's election, he has turned his brash focus toward Europe in his frequent posts on X.
He's called for the release of a far-right agitator from prison in the UK, called the country's leader "utterly despicable," and wondered whether America should "liberate" Britain — all in the past week.
Musk has inserted himself into and fueled a political row over the UK government's handling of an inquiry into gangs who sexually exploited children. When he acquired Twitter, now called X, in 2022, he said combating images of child sexual abuse on the platform was "Priority #1."
Musk has also endorsed Germany's far-right AfD party ahead of elections there in late February. His comments have earned him rebukes from leaders across the continent.
Musk's interventions have been condemned by the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK
"Don't feed the troll," German chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday after Musk posted that "only the AfD can save Germany." On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said, "Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who leads the left-leaning Labour Party, hit back at Musk, without naming him, in a speech the same day, saying: "Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims — they're interested in themselves."
Musk plans to host a conversation on X with the AfD's leader this week. He earlier defended his intervention in Germany in an op-ed in Welt am Sonntag, saying he has "significant investments" there — Tesla has a factory near Berlin. (Welt am Sonntag, along with Business Insider and Politico, are owned by Axel Springer.)
But, unlike in America, his political interventions in Europe don't obviously affect those investments. Tesla stock closed at $251 on Election Day in November. It then surged as investors recognized that Musk's gamble backing Trump had paid off.
As Musk has posted about Europe in recent days, Tesla's stock has remained relatively stable, closing at $411 on Monday, suggesting that investors are paying little, if any, attention.
Musk has become particularly engrossed in UK politics
The world's richest person has been posting and reposting dozens of times a day on X. He's also boosting the reach of those he endorses to his 211 million followers.
Musk posted last week about the UK's grooming scandal, calling for Starmer to resign and be jailed for "his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hit back at Elon Musk on Monday.
Henry Nicholls/Getty Images
This was followed on Saturday by a front-page Daily Mail story headlined, "Starmer 'guilty as anyone' over grooming gangs." The comment was from a former detective and whistleblower who helped expose pedophile gangs, but Musk's posts have fueled the story and helped keep it on the front pages of arguably the UK's most influential newspaper.
On Tuesday, Politico even attributed a government response in the House of Commons regarding the scandal to Musk, saying he had "elicited some action."
Musk turned on Nigel Farage, the British politician and Trump ally
Other British newspapers, such as the Daily Telegraph, have also carried significant coverage of Musk's comments — and reported that Musk was mulling a huge donation to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party.
Farage has called Musk a "hero," but Musk said on Sunday that Farage, a member of Parliament and a friend of Trump's, should quit as leader. He appears to have turned on him after Farage didn't follow his call for far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who calls himself Tommy Robinson, to be freed from prison.
Yaxley-Lennon is serving a sentence for contempt of court after repeating untrue claims about a Syrian refugee, for which he was previously successfully sued for defamation.
Nigel Farage, the head of the Reform UK party, enjoyed Musk's support until Musk on Sunday called for him to quit as leader.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Musk's pivot was reported across Britain's front pages on Monday, and Starmer's attack on him was headline news on Tuesday.
Some British commentators have run with Musk's comments to put pressure on the Labour government. On Monday, Piers Morgan wrote on X that Starmer "must order a full no-holds-barred national inquiry into exactly what happened in the appalling gang rape scandal," including "who was accountable for such lengthy systemic failure of justice." Morgan said Starmer should also investigate "his own role," as Starmer was the country's chief prosecutor when the scandals first emerged before he entered politics.
Musk's interventions in the US benefited him materially. The analyst Dan Ives called Trump's reelection a "home run" for Tesla, with the stock rising the day after the election. Having the new president's ear will likely help Musk secure policies favorable to his companies. There is no obvious corollary in Europe, leaving many wondering how this is benefiting him.
But the past few days also suggest Musk has little to lose by continuing to post whatever he likes on X.
Social media users erupted over President-elect Trump's "dominating" handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron at their meeting in Paris Saturday.
Trump traveled to France to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, his first international trip since winning the 2024 presidential election. Ahead of the event, Trump met Macron, and the two shook hands in a gesture that quickly went viral online.
"President Trump is back to dominating world leaders with his handshake," one user, George, wrote in a post on X. "Macron is going to need a hand massage after all that twisting and pulling Trump did to him."
"President Trump manhandles French President Emmanuel Macron with one of the most dominating handshakes I’ve ever seen," said commentator Drew Hernandez. "We are so back."
Colin Rugg wrote, "7 years later and the handshake battle continues between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron."
During a meeting in 2017, during Trump's first term in office, the two world leaders had a 29-second handshake and appeared to be tugging back and forth as they walked with their wives.
"The Trump-Macron handshake is hilarious," author John Lefevre said in a post on X. "Because it happened twice. And you know Macron was told to prepare and probably practiced and then still got dominated."
Trump's handshakes with world leaders have gone viral over the years, including when he pulled in Russian President Putin's arm during a handshake at the G-20 Summit in 2019.
Trump attended the reopening ceremony alongside political figures, including first lady Jill Biden and Prince William.
President-elect Trump met with world leaders ahead of the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral as he steps back onto the global stage following his election victory.
Trump traveled to France on Saturday to attend the reopening of Notre Dame, the famous cathedral that suffered serious damage during a fire five years ago. The trip marks Trump's first international trip since he was elected to a second, non-consecutive term in office.
Trump's diplomacy was on full display during the trip as he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Presidential Palace in Paris. The pair was later joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"It's a great honor for French people to welcome you five years later," Macron said of Trump. "And you were, at that time, president for the first time. And I remember the solidarity and your immediate action. So, welcome back again. We are very happy to have you here."
Trump is expected to meet with Prince William, who is attending the event in place of his father, King Charles III, after the ceremony, according to Kensington Palace.
President Biden is not expected to attend the event, however, First Lady Jill Biden will be present.
William was scheduled to meet with the First Lady at the UK residence in Paris, but due to weather, the meeting was canceled, and the two will meet at the ceremony.
President-elect Trump is in Europe this weekend for his first overseas trip since his convincing victory in last month's presidential election.
Trump will meet with Emmanuel Macron after the French president invited him to attend Saturday's star-studded VIP event for the official reopening of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after a devastating fire wrecked the centuries-old Paris landmark.
First Lady Jill Biden will also attend the ceremonies, but it's Trump who will be holding court with world leaders.
The president-elect's appearance will serve as Trump's unofficial return to the global stage, and it is another reminder that he is quickly becoming the center of the world's attention.
"This is without question a major moment in French history and the fact that Macron wanted to share it with Trump speaks to the significance of what Trump is achieving even before he gets to the Oval Office again, said Brett Bruen, a public affairs and strategic communications veteran, and former U.S. diplomat who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
"He is being feted quite literally in Paris with all the glitz and glamour," Bruen, president of the Global Situation Room, added.
And Bruen and other analysts give credit to Macron for inviting Trump to this weekend's festivities.
"This is a really smart move by Macron to get things rolling in the right direction when it comes to U.S.-French relations under Trump," he said. "But let's also not forget the fact that Macron is both badly weakened in his own country and on the European continent…[Macron] may see in Trump an opportunity to restore his lost luster as the European leader who can most effectively engage with the new American president."
Trump has taken a slew of calls in the weeks since the November election from international leaders congratulating him on his White House victory.
The trip to Paris comes a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hastily made an unannounced stop in Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump after the president-elect threatened a trade war with Canada and Mexico.
Trump argued that Canada had failed to prevent large amounts of drugs and undocumented people from crossing the northern border into the U.S. and also pointed to America's massive trade deficit with Canada.
According to reporting from Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump suggested to Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state.
Trump has also weighed in recently on a number of international conflicts. In the volatile Middle East, the president-elect warned this week in a social media post that there would be "ALL HELL TO PAY" if Hamas does not release all the hostages held in Gaza before he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.
News of Trump's invitation to Paris came earlier this week as President Biden was on a history-making trip to Angola, as he became the first American president to visit the sub-Saharan African nation.
But Biden, likely on his last overseas trip before Trump takes over in the White House next month, is already being overshadowed on the world stage by his predecessor and successor.
"While President-elect [Trump] is still weeks away from taking the oath of office, loyalties and the attention of world leaders has shifted to the incoming President and from Washington to Mar-a-lago with breathtaking speed," Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and president of New England College, told Fox News.
Matt Mowers, a veteran GOP national public affairs strategist and former diplomat at the State Department during Trump's first administration, made the case that "Biden’s essentially been a lame duck" for months and that "world leaders have been shifting their gaze to the next administration.
While members of the Biden White House would likely disagree with such sentiments - especially after the current administration played a large role in hammering out the cease-fire that halted fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah - it is undeniable that world leaders have already started to engage directly with the incoming president and administration.
While the spotlight traditionally shifts from the outgoing to the incoming president, Mowers argued that "it is more pronounced this time because the difference in the Biden and Trump approach to foreign policy is so different."
Mowers emphasized that Trump is already aiming "to shape world events" by "being bold, not timid, in the statements he’s putting out, and the world is already reacting to that kind of American strength."
"World leaders that want to get something done… have to engage with Trump," he added.
Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist who served at the State Department during Trump's first term, told Fox News that "the world is demanding leadership" and that "the Oval Office has been replaced by Mar-a-Lago."
Lesperance, pointing to Biden's swing through Africa, noted that lame duck presidents' final weeks are "usually filled with celebratory moments and efforts to cement one’s legacy. Often the focus is on their role on the world stage on behalf of America and its allies.'
However, he argued that "Biden’s pronouncements on Ukraine, Gaza and the importance of climate change go largely ignored by world leaders. Instead, they focus on Trump’s picks for his foreign policy team and pronouncements about changes in U.S. foreign policy position. It’s pretty evident that while Biden attempts a victory tour, the world has turned the page."
President-elect Donald Trump will be in France this weekend to celebrate the reopening of the famed Notre Dame Cathedral alongside several world leaders, marking his first foreign trip following his election victory last month.
Trump announced his plan on Monday to attend the celebratory reopening on his social media app Truth Social, which comes five years after a fire devastated the cathedral in 2019. The 700-million-euro restoration project was funded by donations from 150 countries and involved the application of carpentry methods dating back to the 13th century. Sources familiar with the president-elect's plans told Fox News that Trump's attendance was at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Security will be tight for the invite-only festivities that are set to begin Saturday afternoon, Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez said in an interview published by French media outlet Le Parisien. He said many of the measures will mimic those deployed during the Paris Olympics.
Nuñez also indicated that about 50 heads of state would be in attendance but did not specify whom or from which countries. President Biden, however, is not expected to attend, but first lady Jill Biden will be there.
Macron was the first foreign leader to congratulate Trump after his election win over Vice President Kamala Harris, CNN reported. The pair's relationship heading into Trump's second term will build on what the two established during Trump's first term.
While the two traded barbs during Trump's first term in the White House, Macron has shown a level of deference – at times – toward Trump that other NATO leaders have not. Reporters have described the pair's relationship as a "bromance," and in 2017, the two participated in a Bastille Day military parade in Paris aimed at highlighting the longstanding alliance between France and the U.S.
Trump's push to get other NATO countries to contribute more money to defense efforts – and his overall skepticism of the alliance – has been a point of contention between Trump and other NATO leaders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for instance, clashed with Trump over his claims Germany was not contributing enough to NATO's defense efforts.
During a NATO summit in 2019, a cohort of global leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and France's Macron, were caught on a hot-mic seemingly making fun of Trump for engaging in long, rambling press conferences. The year prior, during a speech at the U.N., audible laughter could be heard after he said his administration had accomplished more in its first two years than any other administration in history.
However, heading into Trump's second term, world leaders seem to be aware of the importance of forging a good relationship with him. Just last week, Trudeau traveled to Trump's Florida resort after the president-elect threatened to slap tariffs on Canadian products over concerns about illegal immigration.
Earlier this week, new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed Britain's and the U.S.' "special relationship," before recalling when the president-elect "graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower," during an annual banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor of London.
Trump's arrival in the French capital coincides with Macron's strategic efforts to stabilize a government in turmoil. Following the ousting of his prime minister through a no-confidence vote, Macron now confronts increasing demands for his own resignation.
President Biden is returning to the White House after a history-making trip to Angola this week, as Biden became the first American president to visit the sub-Saharan African nation.
But Biden, likely on his last overseas trip before President-elect Donald Trump takes over in the White House next month, is already being overshadowed on the world stage by his predecessor and successor.
"While President-elect is still weeks away from taking the oath of office, loyalties and the attention of world leaders has shifted to the incoming President and from Washington to Mar-a-lago with breathtaking speed," Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and president of New England College, told Fox News.
Matt Mowers, a veteran GOP national public affairs strategist and former diplomat at the State Department during Trump's first administration, made the case that "Joe Biden’s essentially been a lame duck" for months and that "world leaders have been shifting their gaze to the next administration."
While members of the Biden White House would likely disagree with such sentiments - especially after the current administration played a large role in hammering out the cease-fire that halted fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah - it is undeniable that world leaders have already started to engage directly with the incoming president and administration.
Trump will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron after the French president invited him to attend Saturday's star-studded VIP event for the official reopening of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after a devastating fire wrecked the Paris landmark.
The president-elect's appearance will serve as Trump's unofficial return to the global stage, and it is another reminder that he is quickly becoming the center of the world's attention.
The trip to Paris comes a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hastily made an unannounced stop in Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump after the president-elect threatened a trade war with Canada and Mexico.
Trump argued that Canada had failed to prevent large amounts of drugs and undocumented people from crossing the northern border into the U.S. and also pointed to America's massive trade deficit with Canada.
According to reporting from Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump suggested to Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state.
Trump also weighed in this week in the volatile Middle East, warning in a social media post that there would be "ALL HELL TO PAY" if Hamas does not release all the hostages held in Gaza before he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Hours later, Trump pledged to block the purchase of U.S. Steel - a top American manufacturer - by the Japanese company Nippon Steel.
"I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan," Trump said on social media. "As President, I will block this deal from happening."
Trump, who reiterated comments he made earlier this year on the presidential campaign trail, is on the same page as Biden, who has vowed that U.S. Steel will remain American-owned.
Biden's trip to Africa is putting a spotlight on his administration's commitment to the continent, which has increasingly been courted by massive investments from China. Biden is also highlighting America's wide-ranging effort to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa, a continent Trump never visited during his first term in the White House.
However, the president's trip was overshadowed by Trump's upcoming stop in France, as the president-elect is increasingly courted by world leaders.
While the spotlight traditionally shifts from the outgoing to the incoming president, Mowers argued that "it is more pronounced this time because the difference in the Biden and Trump approach to foreign policy is so different."
Mowers emphasized that Trump is already aiming "to shape world events" by "being bold, not timid, in the statements he’s putting out, and the world is already reacting to that kind of American strength."
"World leaders that want to get something done… have to engage with Trump," he added.
Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist who served at the State Department during Trump's first term, told Fox News that "the world is demanding leadership" and that "the Oval Office has been replaced by Mar-a-Lago."
Lesperance, pointing to Biden's swing through Africa, noted that lame duck presidents' final weeks are "usually filled with celebratory moments and efforts to cement one’s legacy. Often the focus is on their role on the world stage on behalf of America and its allies.'
However, he argued that "Biden’s pronouncements on Ukraine, Gaza and the importance of climate change go largely ignored by world leaders. Instead, they focus on Trump’s picks for his foreign policy team and pronouncements about changes in U.S. foreign policy position. It’s pretty evident that while Biden attempts a victory tour, the world has turned the page."
Michel Barnier on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Paris.
Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier lost a confidence vote on Wednesday.
The vote was triggered after he forced through part of the 2025 budget using an executive decree.
It was France's first successful vote of no confidence in more than 60 years.
Michel Barnier, the French prime minister, lost a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly on Wednesday after left and far-right parties voted together.
The collapse of the 3-month-old government makes Barnier France's shortest-serving prime minister and could bring further upheaval to financial markets.
What's going on with France's public finances?
France's government deficit has ballooned in recent years after it spent billions on COVID-19 subsidies, tax cuts, and subsidies for energy bills, which soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
The European Union expects France's government deficit to reach 6.2% of GDP this year — more than double the EU limit — before declining to 5.3% in 2025. France is facing an EU review over its deficit, though that's also the case for other member nations, including Italy and Poland.
France is set to spend more on servicing government borrowing this year than on defense.
Late last month, French government-borrowing costs briefly exceeded those of Greece, underlining investors' concern about its economic trajectory. It was a notable moment because Greece was at the center of the eurozone debt crisis less than 15 years ago.
Why was the budget a big problem?
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, appointed Barnier as prime minister in September in hopes of breaking a political deadlock following elections in July that left him without a parliamentary majority.
Macron hoped Barnier, who led the EU's negotiations with Britain after its decision to leave the bloc, could overcome differences with opposition parties and pass the 2025 budget.
It would have raised taxes and cut spending to the tune of about 60 billion euros, about $63 billion, to help restore the public finances.
However, after weeks of negotiations, amendments, and concessions to opposition parties, Barnier used an executive order on Monday to force part of it through without the approval of lawmakers in the lower house.
In response, the far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, vowed to support a no-confidence motion brought by the left-wing New Popular Front.
Lawmakers from Marine Le Pen's National Rally helped to bring down the French government.
REUTERS/Charles Platiau
On Tuesday, Barnier said he was open to negotiations with all political parties amid a "serious" and "difficult" situation.
However, his pleas fell on deaf ears and the motion was passed by 331 votes — the first time a no-confidence vote has succeeded in France since 1962.
What happens next?
Barnier is expected to resign but may continue as a caretaker until a new prime minister is appointed.
Macron, whose popularity has been on the slide, is under rising political pressure to appoint a replacement. Finding someone to do the job could prove difficult, however, and whoever takes over is likely to encounter the same obstacles as Barnier.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Saudi Arabia this week.
Ludovic MARIN/AFP/Getty Images
Next year's budget is now unlikely to be passed, although that does not mean there will be a US-style government shutdown in France. Instead, a provisional budget mirroring this year's document is likely to be implemented, economists at ING wrote.
UBS analysts wrote on Thursday: "Since there is little experience with the special laws to roll over a budget into the next year, uncertainty remains at this stage."
Antonio Fatas, a professor of economics at INSEAD, a French business school, told Business Insider ahead of the vote there was no reason for the rest of the European Union to panic as he didn't expect "contagion" to spread.
Fatas said the bloc could do without such a headache, given its anemic economic growth. Germany, the EU's largest economy, is also facing political instability after the collapse of Olaf Scholz's coalition government, with a snap election to be held in late February.
The euro was largely unaffected by the events and was trading at about $1.0517 on Thursday, while the Cac 40 was trading 0.3%.
Market strategists surveyed by Reuters on Wednesday expected the euro to remain weak due to the political turmoil in France and the threat of new US tariffs next year.
Under French law, new elections cannot be held until mid-2025. The political uncertainty France now faces could trigger a spike in borrowing costs and worsen its already-strained public finances.
President Biden enjoyed a warm welcome from a crowd of thousands as he arrived in Angola this week, as the president made good on his long awaited first visit to sub-Saharan Africa.
Biden, likely on his last overseas trip before President-elect Donald Trump takes over in the White House next month, is already being overshadowed on the world stage by his predecessor and successor.
"The Oval Office has been replaced by Mar-a-Lago," Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist who served at the State Department during Trump's first term, told Fox News.
Additionally, Matt Mowers, a veteran GOP national public affairs strategist and former diplomat at the State Department during Trump's first administration, made the case that "Joe Biden’s essentially been a lame duck" for months and that "world leaders have been shifting their gaze to the next administration."
Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and president of New England College, highlighted that "while President-elect is still weeks away from taking the oath of office, loyalties and the attention of world leaders has shifted to the incoming President and from Washington to Mar-a-lago with breathtaking speed."
While members of the Biden White House would likely disagree with such sentiments - especially after the current administration played a large role in hammering out the cease-fire that halted fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah - it is undeniable that world leaders have already started to engage directly with the incoming president and administration.
Trump will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron after the French president invited him to attend Saturday's star-studded VIP event for the official reopening of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after a devastating fire wrecked the Paris landmark.
The president-elect's appearance will serve as Trump's unofficial return to the global stage, and it is another reminder that he is quickly becoming the center of the world's attention.
The trip to Paris comes a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hastily made an unannounced stop in Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump after the president-elect threatened a trade war with Canada and Mexico.
Trump argued that Canada had failed to prevent large amounts of drugs and undocumented people from crossing the northern border into the U.S. and also pointed to America's massive trade deficit with Canada.
According to reporting from Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump suggested to Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state.
Trump also weighed in this week in the volatile Middle East, warning in a social media post that there would be "ALL HELL TO PAY" if Hamas does not release all the hostages held in Gaza before he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Hours later, Trump pledged to block the purchase of U.S. Steel - a top American manufacturer - by the Japanese company Nippon Steel.
"I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan," Trump said on social media. "As President, I will block this deal from happening."
Trump, who reiterated comments he made earlier this year on the presidential campaign trail, is on the same page as Biden, who has vowed that U.S. Steel will remain American-owned.
Biden's trip to Africa is putting a spotlight on his administration's commitment to the continent, which has increasingly been courted by massive investments from China. Biden is also highlighting America's wide-ranging effort to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa, a continent Trump never visited during his first term in the White House.
However, the president's trip will be overshadowed by Trump's upcoming stop in France, as the president-elect is increasingly courted by world leaders.
While the spotlight traditionally shifts from the outgoing to the incoming president, Mowers argued that "it is more pronounced this time because the difference in the Biden and Trump approach to foreign policy is so different."
Mowers emphasized that Trump is already aiming "to shape world events" by "being bold, not timid, in the statements he’s putting out, and the world is already reacting to that kind of American strength."
Bartlett noted that "the world is demanding leadership." Mowers added that "world leaders that want to get something done… have to engage with Trump."
Lesperance, pointing to Biden's swing through Africa, noted that lame duck presidents' final weeks are "usually filled with celebratory moments and efforts to cement one’s legacy. Often the focus is on their role on the world stage on behalf of America and its allies.'
However, he argued that "Biden’s pronouncements on Ukraine, Gaza and the importance of climate change go largely ignored by world leaders. Instead, they focus on Trump’s picks for his foreign policy team and pronouncements about changes in U.S. foreign policy position. It’s pretty evident that while Biden attempts a victory tour, the world has turned the page."
