President Donald Trump, a self-avowed teetotaler, has passed judgement on which country produces the best wine, kicking off an online wave of joking and rage. But it soon turned to despair as Trump threatened to tax French wines.
Responding to a new French tax seeking to extract funds from American tech giants active in the country, Trump donned his sommelier’s cap and launched an attack on one of France’s top exports, stating that “American wine is much better than French wine!”
Residents of Twitter soon pointed out the president’s famous claim to have never tasted a drop of alcohol; naturally, they started posing the tough questions.
Others, perhaps with some wine expertise of their own under their belt, disputed the president’s assertion purely on its merits.
“Trump is WRONG,” one user tweeted. “While a California cab Sauvignon is a great wine, it’s not quite like a fine French cru!”
However, as Trump developed his idea of striking back on Paris, for some the mood has become very sobering. Speaking in the White House, Trump said he “might” impose a new French wine tax.
One user pleaded with the commander in chief not to introduce any new tariffs on the beloved drink, which has apparently become the “only solace” for the anti-Trump #Resistance.
As it turns out, the president’s family does have a hand in the wine business. In 2011, Trump purchased a vineyard in Virginia, which is now owned by his son Eric and produces around 36,000 cases of wine each year. Maybe he knows a little bit about wine, after all.
But wait! Where is that winery located, exactly? That’s right: Charlottesville, ground-zero for America’s battle over (purportedly) racist statues, and the locale of the infamous 2017 “Unite the Right” rally which resulted in the death of a protester. “What else do you need to know?” one commenter asked.
Some took up the president’s cause, defending the honor of America’s number one… boxed wine, but adding a caveat: “Our wine is really great, just don't drink it if you are sober.”
Finally, one commenter found how to bring ‘Russiagate’ into the row, bringing up his own favorite wine that bears the name of a certain former special counsel.
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