At the high-stakes Gaza peace summit in Egypt, former U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to exchange tense words during a surprisingly long 30-second handshake a moment that quickly became the highlight of the event.
The summit, held in Sharm El-Sheikh, aimed to push for an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict and chart a path toward regional peace. But for a brief moment, the focus shifted from diplomacy to an apparent personal showdown between two world leaders who share a complicated history.
According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, who analyzed the video, the two presidents seemed to exchange subtle verbal jabs while maintaining an unrelenting grip.
Trump reportedly began with, “Nice to see you, so you agreed?” to which Macron responded, “Of course.”
Trump then appeared to ask, “Okay, so now I want to know why. You hurt me. I already know.”
Macron allegedly replied, “I am making peace.”
At one point, Macron tapped Trump’s hand and said, “Excuse me,” signaling discomfort, but Trump reportedly tightened his grip even more prompting Macron to suggest they continue the discussion “behind closed doors.”
Hickling described the exchange as a textbook example of “power play by touch,” saying that prolonged handshakes between Trump and Macron have historically served as subtle displays of dominance. She noted that Macron’s attempt to end the handshake, combined with his downward glance and soft tone, reflected a desire to de-escalate tension.
Despite the seemingly cordial setting, the verbal cues hinted at deeper disagreement particularly over France’s recent decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, which Trump previously criticized as “a reward for Hamas.”
This diplomatic standoff came just weeks after Macron publicly urged the United States to use its influence to stop the war in Gaza. “There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the U.S. President,” Macron told BFMTV. “We do not supply the weapons that allow the war to continue the United States does.”
More than 145 countries now recognize Palestine as a state, leaving the U.S. among a small group of holdouts. The summit itself was attended by leaders from Qatar, Palestine, Turkey, Spain, the U.K., Italy, and Norway, as well as representatives from the United Nations and European Council though notably, Israel and Hamas were absent.
Hickling concluded that Trump’s contradictory body language offering peace while asserting physical control reflected both showmanship and dominance, hallmarks of their long and often theatrical diplomatic relationship.
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