Event moderator Julia Hartley Brewer asked: “President (Emmanuel) Macron – friend or foe?” To which, Truss replied: “The jury is out!”
Her answer drew applause from the audience. Truss went on to say: “But if I become prime minister, I will judge him by actions, not words.”
Britain and France are close NATO allies. However, they have been embroiled in a series of disputes since the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, particularly over fishing rights and migrant crossings in the English Channel.
Truss, who originally supported remaining in the EU in 2016, has switched sides and now supports Brexit — saying her pre-referendum fears that it could cause “disruption” were misplaced.
The would-be Tory leader has threatened to scrap all remaining EU law in the UK and bypass the Brexit deal Johnson negotiated with Brussels. He also blamed France and the EU for border controls at Dover, the main port between the UK and France.
The leadership race has seen Truss pledge to cut taxes, scrap EU regulations and encourage private sector growth with low corporation tax. He said he would not impose a windfall tax on energy companies, despite the fact that they are making huge profits during a cost-of-living and energy crisis.
Voting closes on September 2nd and the results will be announced on September 5th. The winner becomes the leader of the party and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
CNN’s Luke McGee contributed to this report.
