The Guardian | Tom McCarthy: Touting “a very strong personal relation” with Donald Trump, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday began an ambitious charm offensive intended to strengthen US commitments in Syria and Iran while heading off threats of a transatlantic trade war.

Prior to his departure for an official state visit to Washington, Macron likened himself to Trump in an interview with Fox News Sunday, a venue with a wide following among Trump supporters and likely to be watched by the president himself.

“Both of us are probably the maverick of the systems on both sides,” Macron said. “I think President Trump’s election was unexpected in your country and probably my election was unexpected in my country. And we are not part of the classical political system.”

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