President Donald Trump complimented French President Emmanuel Macron for suspending a proposed tax hike on fuel in response to an uprising of violent populist protests in Paris.
The fuel tax hike was promoted by Macron, who argued that it would help reduce climate change and shift France to a cleaner, greener future.
Trump concluded that Macron’s decision to suspend the taxes was a partial realization that the Paris Climate deal was a mistake.
“The Paris Agreement is fatally flawed because it raises the price of energy for responsible countries while whitewashing some of the worst polluters in the world,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump signaled his commitment to clean air and clean water but insisted that American workers should not have to suffer additional green taxes as a result of the deal.
“American taxpayers – and American workers – shouldn’t pay to clean up others countries’ pollution,” he wrote. Trump announced in June 2017 his decision to withdraw the United States from the deal.
Macron’s decision to suspend the fuel tax increase is the first major setback of his presidency, despite his call to abandon nationalism in November.
“By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!” Trump wrote in response at the time. “MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN!”