President Trump
Donald John TrumpAmash calls McCarthy incompetent, dishonest after '60 Minutes' interview GOP lawmaker blasts Trump for quoting pastor warning of civil war over impeachment '60 Minutes' correspondent presses McCarthy on impeachment inquiry MORE, while awaiting a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi during the Group of Seven (G7) summit, called for “my favorite dictator,” The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
“Where’s my favorite dictator?” Trump said as at a hotel in Biarritz, France, where the two were reportedly set to meet last month. A group of at least 10 U.S. and three Egyptian officials was reportedly awaiting Sisi’s arrival.
Several American and Egyptian officials who were in the same room as Trump overheard his remark, the Journal reported. It isn’t clear if Sisi was there or if he heard the comment.
Many said they thought Trump was making a joke, but the comment reportedly prompted silence from the group.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
Steven Terner MnuchinTrump seeks to shift questions from impeachment at UN On The Money: Wall fight raises odds of 'continuous' stopgap measures | Warren under pressure over how to pay for 'Medicare for All' | Mnuchin surprises Trump by saying US scrapped Chinese farm tours Mnuchin surprises Trump by saying US scrapped Chinese farm tours MORE, former national security adviser John Bolton
John BoltonIran is surviving, in spite of Trump's 'maximum pressure' Trump's top adviser on Asia to serve as deputy national security adviser Bolton replacement inherits tough challenges — including Trump MORE and Larry Kudlow
Lawrence (Larry) Alan KudlowMORE, assistant to the president for economic policy, were in attendance, the Journal reported.
Egypt’s foreign affairs minister and chief of the General Intelligence Service were also said to be present.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Since taking power in 2013, Sisi has come under fire for his authoritarian leadership and has faced accusations of detaining, torturing and killing prisoners who disagreed politically, the Journal noted.
Trump has previously said of Sisi: “We understood each other very well. He’s a very tough man, I will tell you that. But he’s also a good man, and he’s done a fantastic job in Egypt. Not easy.”