During a meeting in Egypt for discussions about a Gaza peace agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron shared another unusually long handshake. This interaction, which lasted for about twenty-six seconds, happened as world leaders came together in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh to mark the important ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to Fox News.
The handshake started as a normal greeting but then changed into a long-lasting grip that people watching said looked similar to the start of an arm wrestling match. Both leaders seemed to tighten their hold as the handshake went on. At one point, Macron grabbed Trump’s forearm before they finally let go of each other’s hands. Video of the event spread quickly on the internet and on major television networks. On that network, the host John Roberts called the greeting a “bro shake.”
This most recent event was similar to the leaders’ past meetings, where their long handshakes had also attracted the same kind of attention. Trump and Macron’s first meeting in 2017 included a twenty-eight-second handshake that was talked about a lot by news organizations and people who discuss politics. Macron later said that “My handshake with him is not innocent, it is not the be-all and end-all of a policy, but a moment of truth.” Around the same time, Trump made headlines for criticizing a magazine cover as “the worst of all time,”.
A Recurring Moment That Draws Global Notice
Monday’s handshake happened right before the official group photograph with the heads of state and diplomats who were present. The event was the formal recognition of the peace deal arranged by the United States. This deal resulted in Hamas releasing the last twenty Israeli hostages, while Israel freed Palestinian prisoners. This exchange ended a conflict in the Gaza Strip that had lasted for more than two years and had caused widespread damage to human lives and living conditions.
Trump was seen saying hello to other leaders one after another before he met with Macron. The feeling between them seemed friendly at first but changed as the handshake continued for longer than is typical. Both men smiled for a short time before they seemed to put in clear physical effort to keep their grip. People who comment on the news said that this exchange was a reflection of earlier examples of the two presidents having firm handshakes.
During their 2017 meeting, which was for Trump’s visit to France, Macron explained that the handshake was done on purpose. He said, “We must show that we will not make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but we must not overhype anything either”. He stressed that the gesture was part of a larger message about the country being firm in its diplomacy. That meeting also had another moment where Trump was pictured holding both Macron’s hand and the hand of the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, during their greetings.
Published: Oct 14, 2025 02:58 pm