Why is Donald Trump seemingly unable to execute a handshake like a normal person?
Granted, his handshake technique is well down the list of grievances that many would have in relation to the president of the United States, but it’s beginning to get a little strange.
Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are just some of the world dignitaries to have been on the receiving end of Trump’s bizarre handshakes in the past, but surely nothing can top this effort with French President Emmanuel Macron during the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris on Friday?
Séquence serrages de mains toniques pour les deux couples présidentiels. 🤝 #14juillet pic.twitter.com/vunk3yxm5I
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) July 14, 2017
By our count, Trump clasps the hand of Macron for just under 30 seconds, during which he pats Macron’s right hand with his left hand at one point and at another, practically jerks the French president towards him with such force that his right foot actually leaves the ground.
While still clasping Macron’s hand, meanwhile, he also grabs the hand of Macron’s wife, Brigitte and kisses her on the cheek before eventually letting Macron go.
The handshakes have been a rather bizarre aspect of Trump’s presidency to date, but such is the frequency with which they occur at this stage that you’d have to wonder if they’re part of a psychological power play or, on the other hand, that he just doesn’t know how shaking the hand of another person works.
The weird handshake comes after Trump told Brigitte Macron that she was “beautiful” and “in great shape” during a visit to the Les Invalides museum in Paris, comments that caused a stir when footage emerged of the encounter on Thursday.
