On Friday, Trump tweeted that he "had a very good phone call" with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed various subjects including security and trade.
"He wanted to talk to him constantly… Macron would be like: ‘Hey, what are we talking about?’ These are very busy people. You don’t just call to check in," the official said, as quoted by the Politico media outlet on Monday.
According to the official, Trump’s love of chatting with Macron on the phone looks like a "bizarre" fascination. The official, however, added that the majority of calls had been requested by Macron.
READ MORE: Trump Says Had 'Very Good Phone Call' With French President Macron on Trade
A former White House official said that, at the beginning of his presidential term, Trump tended to frequently call foreign leaders with little preparation.
"The standard is you don't have your principal call unless you’re asking for something or trying to reward a behavior, either a carrot or a stick. You don't just randomly call," the former official said, as quoted by the media outlet.
In a comment to Politico, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders idefended the president, saying that "foreign leaders appreciate that the president is willing to take their calls day and night" and Trump himself "never wants another leader to wait before their call is returned."
