Donald Trump & Emmanuel Macron’s Handshake Caught Everyone’s Attention

Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron’s ‘Intense’ Handshake Sparks Buzz – Video

The handshake between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron has generated a lot of discussion among netizens. Following their meeting, Macron shared the reasons for his visit with the US president.

A video of President Donald Trump greeting French President Emmanuel Macron was posted on Facebook by USA Today a few hours ago. Social media users who watched the news outlet’s video have differing perspectives about Trump’s greeting of Macron.

Videos showed Macron, dressed sharply in a suit and dark tie, stepping out of a black car and being met by Trump right away. Wearing a dark blue suit and light blue tie, the US president extended his hand to give Macron a firm handshake.

While exchanging pleasantries, the two men placed one arm on the other while their hands were in an iron grasp.

After watching and posing for cameras, the two shook hands for a while before Trump released his hold and Macron’s hand dropped to his side.

A reporter was heard asking Trump at the end of the tape if he had any words to say for Pope Francis, who is still in the hospital.

Donald Trump answered, but his voice was unintelligible. In their caption, USA Today even acknowledged the length of the handshake, writing, “Donald Trump welcomed France’s President Emmanuel Macron to the White House with a very long handshake.”

Additionally, netizens took notice of the handshake. “Powerful,” an Instagram user said, and an X user agreed, saying, “It’s epic.”

However, another person noted, “It appears that Macron and Trump had a really heated handshake. I’m hoping for softer relationships in the future; maybe a wave will suffice. One onlooker went on to say, “It has turned into a sport.”

Likewise, someone other emphasized, “This was not a handshake. One spectator said, “Lmao, that handshake was something else! 😬 It was a wrestling match.” They appeared to be attempting to out-grip one another.

“Because of the ongoing negotiation between the US and Russia,” Macron said in an interview with Fox News when asked why he had chosen to meet with Trump. due of the numerous conversations we had with Europeans.”

He said, “I wanted to come here, first to convey a message of friendship and the importance of the history in the relationship between France and the US.”

The title for the video clip of Fox News’ interview with Macron read, “French President Emmanuel Macron discusses his meeting with President Trump and Russia-Ukraine peace talks in an interview with @bretbaier on ‘Special Report.'”

A brief clip of Macron and Trump’s meeting was also released by the news organization. They shared video of a playful exchange between the two presidents, in which Trump told a funny story about how he, Macron, and their two spouses had dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

“We didn’t have an interpreter when we came out, so he started talking in French and I was just nodding yes, yes, yes. He really sold me out because I returned the following day […]” “I said, ‘That’s not what we said,’ after reading the papers,” Trump revealed.

As the media chuckled, the two presidents got into a light-hearted altercation, shaking hands and then tapping each other. Trump said, “I’ll tell you that he’s a smart customer.”

“President Trump cracks a joke with French President Emmanuel Macron, referencing their different interpretations of a previous meeting in French and English,” said Fox News.

Trump’s lighthearted banter and humorous anecdote at his and Macron’s highly publicized meeting contrast with a more somber decision the US President’s office recently made.

The White House refused to let an Associated Press (AP) reporter to attend an event in the Oval Office on a Tuesday afternoon earlier this month (February) because the news outlet had not modified its language about the Gulf of Mexico.

It was claimed that Donald Trump had directed the renaming of the body of water to the “Gulf of America,” and the AP was requested to update its coverage to reflect this.

As is customary, the anonymous AP reporter was not allowed to access the White House event. A second AP reporter was also prohibited from going to another function that took place in the Diplomatic Reception Room later that day. The reporters’ identities were not revealed by the AP.

Following their refusal to comply with the Trump administration’s editorial demand, the AP publicly denounced the White House’s decision to exclude its reporters from the Oval Office event.

AP Executive Editor Julie Pace highlighted the organization’s dedication to providing reliable, nonpartisan journalism to a worldwide audience in a statement issued on February 11.

According to Pace, the White House had warned AP that access to official events would be curtailed if they did not follow Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

The administration’s actions are retribution for independent journalism, she said, calling the move disturbing.

Pace also said that limiting AP’s access because of editorial choices violates the First Amendment, which safeguards free speech and a free press, in addition to undermining press freedom.

AP has chosen to continue using the Gulf of Mexico as its original name in their editorial operations, defying the executive order to rename it. They will, however, acknowledge Trump’s new name while doing so.

During a press conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt discussed the administration’s decision to restrict AP employees from the Oval Office.

“Well, first of all, let me just set the record straight,” Leavitt said when asked by a journalist who was in charge of the prohibition. Covering this White House is an honor. No one has the right to enter the Oval Office and question the President of the United States; it is an invitation. Being the White House press secretary is a privilege.

She continued, “We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.” Many reporters from other outlets raised their hands to react as soon as Leavitt finished her comments.

Whether the White House’s decision was retaliatory was a question raised by the same journalist who first raised the topic regarding the ban. She said, “There’s a reason the AP was barred, which they said was because they’re not using the phrase, Gulf of America, they’re using Gulf of Mexico, in line with their standards.”

“The question here is, is this creating a precedent that this White House will take action against reporters who don’t use the language that you guys think reporters should use?” she went on. And how does that relate to the First Amendment pledge you said earlier?

Leavitt refuted the reporter’s claims by restating that she had made it clear that the Trump administration would hold media outlets accountable if they felt they were spreading false information.

“It is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that, but that is what it is,” Leavitt asserted.

She continued, “The secretary of interior has made that the official designation in the geographical identification name server, and Apple has recognized that, Google has recognized that, pretty much every other outlet in this room has recognized that […] and it’s very important to this administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home, but also for the rest of the world.”

Just more than a month after he originally announced his plan to rename the area, Trump issued the decree. The president’s press conference on the issue was captured on camera by media source ABC on January 7, 2025.

“We’re going to be announcing at a future date, pretty soon we’re going to change—because we do most of the work there and it’s ours—we’re going to be changing—sort of the opposite of Biden, where he’s closing everything up, essentially getting rid of 50 to 60 trillion dollars’ worth of assets—we’re gonna be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” stated Trump.

“That covers a lot of territory,” he added, adding that he thought the new name had a “beautiful ring.” What a lovely name the Gulf of America is, and it’s absolutely fitting.

Weeks after expressing his original thoughts on the name change, Trump proclaimed February 9 to be Gulf of America Day, according to a YouTube video that Fox 5 Atlanta posted.

Trump, sitting comfortably with two government officials in a jet over the area, nodded as one of them affirmed the change’s legitimacy. The official pointed out that the relevant parties had previously contacted the required map providers to make sure the disclosure was adhered to.

Then, while the media recorded the occasion, Trump triumphantly displayed the executive order he had signed. Behind him was a picture of a Gulf of Mexico map with the words “Gulf of America” scattered all over it.

Trump said, “Actually, interestingly, I’ve never spoken to them about it,” in response to a background voice inquiring if he had discussed this issue with Mexico. We had a call, and I hadn’t discussed it with them. I’ve discussed a lot of other stuff with them. I’m a little shocked that they’ve never mentioned it.”