Donald Trump is facing intense backlash after abruptly leaving the G7 summit in Canada a day early, and issuing what critics have called a “psychopathic” explanation for his departure.
The G7, made up of leaders from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, has gathered annually for the past 50 years to coordinate on global economic policy and international security. So when the US president cut his visit short on Monday (June 16), it didn’t go unnoticed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a vague explanation, saying Trump would depart after dinner with other heads of state due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner,” she wrote on X.
Trump, for his part, said he had informed Canada’s Prime Minister and summit host, Mark Carney, and that the other leaders would “understand.”
“I wish I could stay until tomorrow, but they understand, this is big stuff,” Trump said, according to The Guardian.
Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images.
His early departure meant skipping the G7’s joint statement calling for a de-escalation in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. Though Trump signed the statement, he took to Truth Social to issue a far more alarming message, urging residents of Tehran to evacuate amid Israel’s ongoing strikes on Iran.
Israel began targeting Tehran’s military and nuclear sites last Thursday. The US has not been directly involved in the strikes, but Trump’s public messaging has added fuel to the fire. Then came the statement that drew particular ire.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron for suggesting his departure was related to ceasefire talks. “Publicity-seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong!” Trump wrote.
“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
The post prompted a wave of backlash, with critics slamming Trump’s tone as “unhinged,” “pathetic,” and “petty.”
“Insulting our allies again, after whining they won’t let Putin back into the G8,” one person commented, referencing Trump’s past remarks that expelling Russia from the G8 in 2014 was a mistake.
Many questioned what could possibly be more urgent than a ceasefire in the Middle East. Trump himself had teased something major before leaving the summit, telling reporters: “Iran wants to make a deal. And as soon as I leave here, we’re going to be doing something. But I have to leave here.”
Whatever “deal” he was referring to appears to have fallen through. In a follow-up post, Trump again ramped up the rhetoric.
“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life,” he wrote. “Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Critics say Trump’s posts are escalating tensions rather than calming them — and question what role, if any, the US is really playing behind the scenes in Israel’s military campaign.
