A zesty exchange between the presidents of France and the United States added more sourness to Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump’s long-standing handshake showdown.
In footage from CNN’s coverage of Pope Francis’ funeral, Trump took a meeting with Ukrainian Premier Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the ceremony. Before the two world leaders sat down together, they were briefly joined by Macron, who offered a warm hug and handshake to Zelensky—but left Trump’s outstretched hand empty.
Macron and Trump have an established history of bizarre greetings. At their latest White House meeting in February, they were seen exchanging macho hugs and grit-toothed handshakes while touching each other’s knees and slapping each other’s backs.
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Their odd bromance dates back to their first formal meeting at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in 2017, when Macron, 31 years Trump’s junior, grabbed the president’s hand with such vigor that Trump’s knuckles turned white and he was forced—not once, but twice—to twist his way out of the French premier’s clutches.
While the pair shared a handshake later during the funeral mass’s sign of peace Saturday—at the apparent insistence of First Lady Melania Trump—their latest exchange has nevertheless caused a stir online, with critics of Trump insisting the French leader snubbed him, and MAGA supporters insisting it was instead Macron to whom Trump gave the cold shoulder.
“Macron shakes hands with Zelensky, but not with Trump. Absolute f---ing legend!” one user wrote on X, with another adding in the comments: “Macron shows how leadership is done.”
“Macron wanted to sit in on Trump’s ad hoc with the Narcofuhrer,” another user countered, in a bizarre presumed reference to the Ukrainian leader. “Trump told Macron to sit it out. Macroleon did as he was told.”
The awkwardness in any case appears to have passed Zelensky entirely by, with the Ukrainian president tweeting afterwards: “Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS.”
