U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron engaged in a series of vigorous handshakes on Saturday, echoing the memorable, firm grip that characterised their previous encounter over seven years ago.
During his visit to Paris to reopen the Notre Dame Cathedral, Trump received a warm welcome from Macron at the steps of the Elysee Palace. Trump embarked on his inaugural foreign trip following his victory in the U.S. election held on November 5.
As he exited his vehicle, Trump reached for Macron’s right hand, drawing him closer as the two embraced. They held onto each other with clenched fists, shaking firmly in camaraderie. Despite their friendly demeanour, it was evident that both men were gripping firmly.
As they climbed the palace steps and faced the cameras again, Trump placed his hand over Macron’s, applying pressure as they shook hands for the second time.
The sequence garnered approval from confident supporters of Trump on social media, who interpreted the president-elect’s actions as a deliberate effort to intimidate Macron.
“President Trump is once again asserting his presence among world leaders with his signature handshake,” tweeted an account under the username @BehizyTweets on the social media platform X.
“Macron may require a hand massage following the extensive twisting and pulling he experienced during his interactions with Trump.”
The two men share a notable history characterised by their intense handshakes.
In May 2017, just before a NATO summit in Brussels, the two leaders met for the first time. Their handshake was firm, causing their knuckles to turn white, while their jaws appeared tense during the face-to-face discussion.
In a 2017 interview with a newspaper, Macron described the tense handshake as “not innocent”. It characterised it as “a moment of truth,” intended to convey to his U.S. counterpart, whose first term concluded in January 2021, that he would not be easily intimidated.
On Saturday, President Trump and President Macron were later joined by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. World leaders gathered in Paris to commemorate the restoration of Notre Dame, marking five years since the historic cathedral was devastated by fire.
Former President Trump and French President Macron engaged in a notable handshake outside the cathedral, characterised by its firmness and duration. However, it did not reach the same level of intensity as their infamous handshake in 2017, as noted by social media influencer Collin Rugg.
Rugg reported on X that the ongoing handshake rivalry between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron persists. “The handshake exchanged at Notre Dame Cathedral lasted for 17 seconds, falling short of their previous record of 29 seconds.”
