[Wissa]

Chirac said he was worried, too, but said that the two countries would always be friends

Yup, that had to really be Chirac. He's delusional enough to believe that.

[TheMole]

I agree with you. If it had been a comedy routine, whoever was playing him would have said something more ridiculous (at the least) and probably would have criticized American food and "cowboys". Chirac actually speaks fairly good English, unusually for a French politician of his generation. The call probably was genuine.

[microgood]

Chirac said he was worried, too, but said that the two countries would always be friends.


Maybe friends means something different in France.