Emmanuel Macron Shook Donald Trump’s Hand So Forcefully That He Left A Visible Thumbprint
Donald Trump is a man known for his forceful handshake. According to the Telegraph, it appears as if Emmanuel Macron decided to give Trump a taste of his own medicine in what is being described as a bit of an awkward encounter between the two.
A quick search reveals people are currently blowing up Twitter as they try to decide what to make of the bone crushing handshake between the pair. A few joked “the force is strong with this one,” while sharing photos of the visible white thumbprint Emmanuel Macron left on Trump’s hand after the shake. Others said “make what you will” of the forcible handshake.
According to Business Insider, Trump and Macron have somewhat of a tradition of sharing these awkward and intense handshakes during meetings. In fact, when the two met in France last year, Trump and Macron could be seen clenching fists in an awkward handshake until both of their knuckles turned white.
Trump and Macron also notably shared what media outlets described as an “awkward handshake-turned-side-hug” when they attended a press conference at the White House earlier this year.
This most recent awkward and intense handshake – which left Trump with that notable white thumbprint – took place during the annual G7 summit.
Telegraph notes the two world leaders said “all of the right things” during their meeting, “claiming that progress was possible on the contentious issue of US trade tariffs.” The frosty exchange and intense handshake between Trump and Macron, however, seemed to tell a slightly different story.
Emmanuel Macron leaves his mark on Donald Trump with white-knuckle handshake at G7https://t.co/RCCjgm1azS pic.twitter.com/zGzegCnBry
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) June 9, 2018
In a series of photo stills capturing the awkward encounter between the two, Macron initiated the handshake by gripping Trump’s elbow before offering his hand – palm up – for a handshake. Taking the hint – Trump commented on the friendship the two shared before bringing it in for the awkward bone crushing handshake.
“He’s my friend. We’ve had a great relationship right from the beginning.”
During the awkward handshake, Macron pulled Trump’s hand toward him forcing the president to be the first to break away from the handshake.
While it is unclear whether these two have some sort of battle for who has the stronger handshake, it would appear as if Macron was the victor this year after leaving the president with a visible white thumbprint on his hand.
During the meeting, Macron did flash the occasional smile and wink at Trump claiming their conversations were “direct and open.”
“I want to say sometimes we disagree, but we share I’d say common concerns and common values and we share the willingness to deliver results together.”
