Trump's final France embarrassment is a three-way extended handshake
Donald Trump completed his visit with French President Emmanuel Macron with yet another embarrassment: a bizarrely extended and sometimes-three-way handshake. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were saying their farewells to Trump and his wife, Melania. Macron extended his hand to Trump and Trump took it. And then didn’t let it go for over 28 seconds: […]
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were saying their farewells to Trump and his wife, Melania. Macron extended his hand to Trump and Trump took it.
And then didn’t let it go for over 28 seconds:
Watch President Trump and French President Macron's marathon handshake before they parted ways in Paris. pic.twitter.com/J2ugAQBoTk
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 14, 2017
About eight seconds in, Trump appears to have adjusted his grip on Macron’s hand, shifting from a traditional handshake into more of an arm-wrestling grip.
When Macron’s wife approached the pair, Trump, still holding Macron’s hand, then kissed Brigitte and reached for her hand. At their first meeting, Trump leered at Brigitte — commenting on her physical appearance to both her and her husband — and she can be seen placing a distancing hand on his arm as he reaches for her during the farewell.
Trump maintained his grip on both Macron and his wife’s hands for another full five seconds.
Trump and Macron have handshake history. At their very first face-to-face meeting, the White House press pool described their handshake accordingly:
Each president gripped the other’s hand with considerable intensity, their knuckles turning white and their jaws clenching and faces tightening.
Macron was reportedly warned about Trump’s penchant for physically aggressive handshakes and was prepared. He later said the handshake was “a moment of truth” between the two leaders.
However, despite his strongman persona and physical tests, Trump has proven to be quite a pushover where it counts. When it comes to his policy stances, Trump has a pattern of often embracing the position of the person with whom he last spoke.
His tendency toward being impressionable apparently carried into his visit to Paris. After his meeting with Macron, Trump hinted during the following press conference about a possible shift on his previously inflexible stance on working with international partners to address climate change.
Like most bullies, Trump talks a tough game but backs down when confronted. In the case of addressing climate change, this might be to the world’s advantage.
Recommended
Biden campaign launches new ad focused on Affordable Care Act
Former President Trump has said he wants to do away with the popular health care law.
By Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-Star - May 08, 2024Trump leaves door open to banning medication abortion nationwide
Donald Trump is planning to release more details in the weeks ahead about how his administration would regulate access to medication abortion, according to comments he made during a lengthy interview with Time magazine published Tuesday.
By Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom - April 30, 2024Biden on abortion rights: President expects to give speech Tuesday on new Florida 6-week ban
‘Having the president of the United States speaking out loud and with confidence about abortion access is a great thing’
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix - April 22, 2024