A body language expert has revealed exactly how French president Emmanuel Macron managed to put Donald Trump in his place during their ‘handshake martial arts’ at the White House yesterday.
The two world leaders met at the White House to discuss Ukraine‘s future, and the role that Europe and the US have in the peacemaking process in the bloodiest conflict on European soil in decades.
The duo’s uncomfortable ‘death clasp’ handshakes have gone viral over the years, with footage from 2017 showing the two leaders locking hands for 29 seconds straight.
First meeting outside the White House for a press conference yesterday afternoon, the pair gripped onto each other for an excruciating 12 seconds as they reunited and posed for photos.
The second awkward encounter took place inside Trump’s Oval Office, when the US President shouted over the French leader and placed his hand on his leg, resulting in Macron turning the physical contact into another handshake.
Later, the third uncomfortable shake of the day happened during a news conference, which appeared to show Trump oddly twisting Macron’s arm before they locked fists and faced the audience.
Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline that the pair were engaged in three rounds of ‘handshake martial arts’ to signify to the world who was the top dog.
The first major move was Macron flipping Trump’s classic ‘Shake and Yank’ technique against him.
First meeting outside the White House for a press conference yesterday afternoon, Trump and Macron (both pictured) gripped onto each other for an excruciating 12 seconds
The second awkward encounter took place inside Trump’s Oval Office, when the US President shouted over the French leader and placed his hand on his leg
The third uncomfortable shake of the day happened during a news conference, which appeared to show Trump oddly twisting Macron’s arm before they locked fists
‘Macron slaps his left hand over the clasp to suggest control and then performs a Trump classic, the ‘Shake and Yank’, where the clasp is suddenly and relatively violently yanked either forward or backward, de-stabilizing your ‘opponent’ by taking them off-balance’, Judi said.
‘Here Macron yanks backward, forcing Trump to lean forward as Macron re-positions his hand on top of the clasp’, she added.
‘As the two men turn to face the cameras Trump keeps a grim grip on Macron’s hand, forcing the shake to last for several seconds and several extra shakes longer. We can see how this firm clasp is more like a tussle than a gesture of mutual respect.’
When inside the Oval Office, Trump attempted an unsuccessful parry by putting his hand on Macron’s knee, James said.
‘Trump used his own de-stabilizing patting ritual when he placed a hand onto Macron’s knee in a containment gesture that also managed to look fond in a parental way. Macron fought back by placing his own hand on top, creating one of the oddest clasps of their meeting’, she said.
James added: ‘The more regular shake at this meeting involved a strong hand clasp that was mutual and some close eye contact that, again, suggested friendship but which actually looked closer to the kind of stare-out boxers use to intimidate their opponents during a weigh-in.
‘Trump held his hand out in a more horizontal position with Macron’s hand lying on top. This would give Trump the impression of instigation, invitation and power but Macron the suggestion of steering or leading, so a no-score draw for this one.’
During the press conference in the Oval Office, Macron raised eyebrows by correcting Trump on his claim that Europe had delivered all of its aid to Ukraine as loans.
Trump and Macron clinch hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G7 in Quebec, Canada in June 2018
French president Macron invites Trump to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame in 2019
Macron and Trump are pictured during an awkward handshake in July 2017
The leaders can be seen posing for pictures while holding on to each other during the long handshake
In December 2024, Trump and Macron were filmed during another awkward handshake
James said of this moment: ‘The biggest “tell” came when Macron raised one hand in Trump’s direction to stop and correct him over a point he was making during the press conference.
‘It was a disrespectful-looking gesture of superior authority and knowledge, and it came with an authoritative raised index finger that had already been waggled in Trump’s direction before during their press call.
‘Trump grinned indulgently and raised one hand in a shaking gesture of disagreement and evaluation, suggesting he would let that one pass because he was in a good mood.’
Their final embrace at the White House was one that attempted to display ‘toughness and physical power.’
‘The clasp between the chests inside the White House at the lecterns is a warrior ritual, suggesting one warrior greeting the other with a display of toughness and physical power.
‘It is unashamedly macho and the juddering that occurs gives the impression of defining strength that could also be turned against one another. It’s both men wanting to suggest they are going into their meeting in a position of superior strength.’
James added that the whole episode indicated that global politics was likely to return to a time of dominance and power projection.
‘It sadly implies a return to the Jurassic alpha male displays or leadership by strength and physical power rather than intellect and empathy’, she told MailOnline.
Emergency workers search for a civilian in the rubble in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced hope that a deal can be struck with the US to develop Ukraine’s mineral resources
European alarm has been mounting over the US direction since Mr Trump’s bombshell phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, unilaterally opening peace talks without involving Ukraine
‘The key to the symbolism in this lengthy ritual is to remember that Macron is the world leader who initially won the battle of the power shakes with Trump the first time around when they had one of their earliest meetings during Trump’s first term in office.
‘Trump was a serial power-shaker who loved to register alpha, physical domination via his impressive back-catalogue of alarming bone-crushers and patting rituals.
‘But Macron had obviously been prepping with maybe a little weight training because he gripped Trump’s hand so hard you could see the outline of his fingers in the flesh of Trump’s hand for several moments after.
‘With the eyes and the fate of the world currently resting on their shoulders then, this latest handshake greeting was always going to be riddled with signals of superior power and dominance.
‘The rictus grins being performed shouldn’t divert from the real action going on at waist height. Both men would have wanted to register superiority here and both men are experts in the skill of handshake martial arts.’
