Australian Diplomat Flips Back Trump’s Appraisal of French First Lady

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/world/australia/julie-bishop-trump-brigitte-macron.html

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SYDNEY, Australia — Australia’s foreign minister briefly put diplomacy aside on Sunday with a sly retort to comments that President Trump made about the physical appearance of the first lady of France.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was asked in a televised interview how she would react if Mr. Trump told her, as he told Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron of France, that she was in “good shape.”

“I’d be taken aback, I think,” Ms. Bishop said. “It’s a rather interesting comment to make. I wonder if she could say the same of him.”

Asked whether she found the remark “condescending,” Ms. Bishop demurred and said she would not comment on the conversation between Mr. Trump and Ms. Macron.

“Likewise, I don’t run a commentary on his Twitter account,” Ms. Bishop said.

Ms. Bishop, who also serves as deputy leader of the right-leaning Liberal Party, has a reputation for being a steely politician who rarely breaks from party talking points.

As foreign minister, she has consistently made statements in support of Mr. Trump. “We share a common view on many issues, so we will continue to work very closely with the Trump administration,” Ms. Bishop said in January.

Mr. Trump has regularly commented on the appearances of women while on official duties as president. Last month, speaking on the phone with the new prime minister of Ireland, he interrupted his conversation to remark that a female Irish journalist “has a nice smile on her face.”