The gold leaf halls of Paris’s Luxembourg Palace have witnessed countless stirring moments of oratory in the roughly 200 years that it has hosted French senators and other parliamentarians, but the moment that stands out of late belongs to Claude Malhuret and his incendiary takedown of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Malhuret, a 75-year-old doctor and lawyer who once headed Médecins Sans Frontières, made headlines around the world in March with an eight-minute speech that was translated and racked up tens of millions of views on social media.
It eviscerated the U.S. president, calling him a “traitor” to the West and a threat to European security.
“Trump’s message is that there is no point in being his ally because he will not defend you,” boomed Malhuert from the ornate chamber. “He will impose higher tariffs on you than his enemies and will threaten to seize your territories.”
“Europe is standing alone,” he said …