US President Donald Trump has once again sparked controversy by claiming he successfully pressured French President Emmanuel Macron into accepting higher medication prices, allegedly through threats of imposing heavy tariffs on French goods.
Speaking at a Republican gathering, Trump recounted what he described as a tense exchange with the French leader. "I spoke to a very good man, President Macron of France, and I said, 'Emmanuel, you have to raise your drug prices,'" Trump told the audience. "He said, 'No, no, no, we will not do that.' I said, 'You have to.'"
According to Trump's account, he then issued an ultimatum: "If you don't do it, I'm going to put a 25 percent tariff on everything France sells into the United States of America."
The US President went further, mockingly imitating Macron as pleading: "Donald, I beg you, please don't tell the people." Trump claimed the French president eventually agreed to increases of "up to 200 percent" on certain medications.
Trump used the anecdote to highlight what he sees as unfair pricing disparities, claiming Americans pay "14 times more" than other countries for medications like the popular weight-loss drug Ozempic.
France Dismisses the Claims
The response from Paris was swift and categorical. The Élysée Palace dismissed Trump's account entirely, stating it simply "doesn't make sense." French officials emphasized that there has been no presidential announcement or decision regarding medication prices as Trump suggested.
The claims come amid Trump's broader push for his "Most Favored Nation" policy, which aims to reduce US prescription drug costs by linking Medicare payments to the lowest prices charged in other developed countries. The administration recently announced that nine pharmaceutical companies had agreed to align certain US drug prices with European levels.
Despite these efforts, pharmaceutical companies have announced plans to raise prices on at least 350 branded medications in 2026, including vaccines for COVID-19, RSV, and shingles – a significant increase from the previous year.
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