President Donald Trump met on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron to do a dance round his administration’s abandonment of our European allies, particularly with reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was one other probability to observe Trump interact in one in all his patented awkward handshakes with Macron.
Trump’s historical past of weird handshakes (and typically avoiding them) with world leaders goes again to his first administration. Trump’s handshakes are simply one of many many petty, and archaic, makes an attempt Trump has of performing what he perceives as superiority.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was on the receiving finish of one of many longest, most uncomfortable hand embraces from Trump. The prime minister appeared extra relieved than anybody when the ordeal was over.
In March 2017, German Chancellor Angela Merkel didn’t shake arms with Trump within the Oval workplace in any respect. Each leaders appeared to disregard photographers’ requests for the 2 to press the flesh. In fact, Trump had stated she “ruined Germany” again in 2015, following the German chancellor’s choice to be TIME journal’s “Person of the Year.”
Then there was Trump’s unlucky try at the ASEAN-Approach Handshake to start the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nation Summit in Manilla within the fall of his first time period.
And who might overlook the absurd tugging Trump did after nominating Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Courtroom.
On Monday, Trump couldn’t deliver himself to name his buddy Vladimir Putin a “dictator, nor might he acknowledge that Russia was the aggressor within the struggle with Ukraine—one thing Macron did with ease. Nevertheless, Trump was profitable in demonstrating to the world that he can nonetheless shake arms just like the uncle you attempt to keep away from speaking to at a marriage.