President Donald Trump delivered a characteristically unscripted and colorful response during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Group of Seven summit in France this week, revisiting memories from the 2016 campaign trail while highlighting what he described as a long-standing friendship with the Egyptian leader.
Trump is attending the 52nd G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, where world leaders have gathered for a series of bilateral and multilateral discussions on international issues. While much of the summit has focused on diplomacy and global affairs, one exchange with reporters quickly turned into a reflection on Trump’s first meeting with El-Sisi nearly a decade ago.
The moment came when an Egyptian journalist asked Trump about Egypt’s border security and what steps might be taken moving forward.
Rather than immediately discussing policy specifics, Trump began recounting his first encounter with El-Sisi during the 2016 presidential campaign, when Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were competing for the White House.
“That’s what we’re talking about, of course I support Egypt,” Trump said. “He’s a friend of mine.”
The president then described being informed that the Egyptian leader was staying at a hotel and available for a meeting during the campaign.
At the time, Trump said, such a meeting carried tremendous significance for him as a candidate seeking to establish relationships with world leaders.
Reflecting on the encounter, Trump used one of his trademark exaggerated expressions to describe the immediate rapport he felt with El-Sisi.
“We fell in love, deeply in love,” Trump said, drawing attention from reporters gathered in the room.
The president went on to contrast that experience with what he claimed was El-Sisi’s attitude toward Clinton during the campaign.
According to Trump, the Egyptian leader believed he would ultimately win the election and preferred spending time meeting with him rather than Clinton.
Trump said El-Sisi predicted his victory and indicated that he did not want to meet with Clinton.
The president recalled that he and El-Sisi spent significantly more time together than originally scheduled because of what he described as strong personal chemistry and an easy connection from the outset.
Trump emphasized that the two men had never met before that occasion but quickly established a positive relationship.
“We had great chemistry,” Trump said.
According to the president, the meeting lasted much longer than planned, which he jokingly suggested cut into time that had been reserved for Clinton.
Trump further claimed that El-Sisi only met with Clinton afterward because, in his words, the Egyptian president is “a gentleman.”
The remarks revived one of Trump’s favorite political themes: contrasting his own relationships with foreign leaders against those of his former Democratic rival.
The exchange also underscored the personal style Trump often brings to diplomacy, frequently placing as much emphasis on individual relationships and chemistry as on formal policy discussions.
While leaders at the summit continue debating major international issues, including matters involving security and regional stability, Trump’s comments provided a lighter and more personal moment amid the high-stakes diplomatic meetings.
The president concluded the exchange by reiterating his friendship with El-Sisi and praising the Egyptian leader before ending the question-and-answer session.
For Trump, the story served as both a recollection of a memorable campaign encounter and another opportunity to revisit a political rivalry that remains a recurring part of his public remarks nearly a decade after the 2016 election.
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