A handshake between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit has gone viral. The fleeting exchange, which lasted mere seconds, offered an uncharacteristically different grip of the 80-year-old president’s to his French counterpart.
Donald Trump’s handshake with Emmanuel Macron goes viral
The moment was caught on Monday as Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to the G7 summit. What happened was dramatically different from the American leader’s established playbook of dominance. Rather than the signature yank-and-pull handshake that has been done with world leaders for years, Trump simply let his hand dangle. In the crux, offering virtually no resistance as Macron took hold. The optics were jarring, especially given the summit setting, where leaders routinely measure body language for signs of strength or weakness.
Social media seized on the clip within minutes of its circulation. “What the f**k is going on with Trump’s limp hand and droopy face?,” posted Jo Carducci, a popular Democratic account on X.
Another comment read, “Donald Trump seems to LACK the strength in his right arm today to do his signature pulling handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron. He also looks GRUMPY as hell today. What’s going on?”
The White House responded with spokesperson Davis Ingle, who bypassed the substance of the question entirely. “You must be blind or stupid, because that was a perfect handshake,” he stated to The Daily Beast.
Notably, Trump appeared to rally considerably when later greeting Brigitte Macron. With the French first lady, he reverted instantly to form, locking her hand in his signature tug-of-war clasp for roughly 14 seconds. The contrast between the two greetings sharpened questions around his earlier interaction with her husband.
Observers have long noted persistent bruising visible on Trump’s right hand. The president typically conceals the discolouration with makeup, and the cosmetic covering was apparent hours before the Macron meeting during his birthday event.
