French upset over US tariffs, may lose loans

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During a recent appearance on Newsmax TV’s “Greg Kelly Reports,” U.S. Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Ric Grenell addressed French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent call for the European Union to halt investments in the United States due to new tariff policies.

Grenell expressed concern over Macron’s stance, highlighting the French attempt to counter President Trump’s efforts to establish tariff equality. “Well, look, what President Macron is doing and what the French are doing and what some other countries are doing is trying to retaliate against President Trump trying to make tariffs equal. … President Trump is the first one to actually step out and make it so that it would be equal. But the French have decided to respond, and they are going to increase tariffs.”

BREAKING: Ric Grenell just advised President Trump to cancel the $5B American loan for France's TotalEnergies African LNG project after French President Emmanuel Macron called on companies to stop investing in the U.S.

Two can play this game. pic.twitter.com/uFJU1Bab8r

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 4, 2025

The Presidential Envoy further elaborated on the potential consequences of France’s actions, particularly regarding existing U.S. financial support programs. He emphasized that American taxpayers currently guarantee French loans for major infrastructure projects through organizations like the Export-Import Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

“But what the French don’t realize is that there [are] a whole bunch of programs, whether it’s through one of the entities of the United States called the DFC or the [Export-Import] Bank, where we have guaranteed loans, the American taxpayer has guaranteed loans for the French on some big infrastructure projects. And we shouldn’t be doing that. We shouldn’t be helping the French if they’re going to try to manipulate the tariff process so that they always have one up on us.”

Europe charges a 10% tariffs on cars.

America charges a 2.5% tariffs on cars.

Fair?

Nope. Thank you, @realDonaldTrump

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 3, 2025