Relationship between Macron and Trump offers a study in the politics of touch

PARIS (AP) — The meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump was a spectacle of thigh-patting, prolonged hand-holding and other touch-heavy displays that have become a signature of their public appearances.

It was another chapter in a relationship where physicality has often spoken louder than words as the two men have engaged in an unusual degree of touch since their first meeting early in Trump’s first term.

At the rendezvous Monday at the White House, Macron executed his signature maneuver: praise laced with correction. Calling Trump “Dear Donald” four times in a single news conference, he underscored their shared goals, particularly on Ukraine. But when Trump declared that Europe would “get their money back” for supporting Kyiv, Macron gently corrected him, explaining that allies had given more than loans.

A smiling Macron patted Trump's forearm and thigh and countered: “We provided real money.”

When Trump mused about government employees who “don’t even exist,” Macron’s eyebrows lifted in an expression that flickered between curiosity and skepticism. But when Trump turned to him and proposed a visit to Fort Knox to “see if the gold is there, because maybe someone stole the gold,” Macron laughed. It was a moment of shared bonhomie, with Macron instinctively mirroring his American counterpart’s demeanor.

As Trump pivoted to praising Elon Musk and floated the idea of withholding pay from federal employees who failed to respond to an inquiry from Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, Macron’s expression shifted again, his amusement fading into something more measured.

The politics of touch

Theirs is a relationship best understood not in words, but in gestures.

Perhaps the most revealing moment came when Trump became irked by Macron slipping into French. Trump cut him off with a compliment: “That is the most beautiful language," followed by a firm thigh pat. An unfazed Macron then placed his hand atop Trump’s.

Nothing sums up their connection better than a prolonged, almost 30-second handshake in 2017, when Macron acknowledged he wanted to prove he was no pushover. With their knuckles turned white and jaws clenched, Trump tried to pull away, only to find Macron holding firm.

That first grip battle set the tone for the relationship that followed — part power play, part theater.

When Trump visited Paris for Bastille Day in 2017, Macron turned a day of national pride into a grand Franco-American showcase, dazzling Trump with a military parade and a carefully staged series of handshakes. One particularly revealing moment saw Trump yanking Macron off balance, clinging to his hand even as they greeted their wives.

Gestures have become more refined over time

Now their physical exchanges are more refined. The handshakes still linger a second too long and look like something between camaraderie and control.

At one point on Monday, Trump slapped Macron’s arm — half-friendly, half-assertive — before seizing his hand. They burst into hearty laughter.

“He’s a smart customer,” Trump said, after suggesting Macron had once twisted a conversation they had at the Eiffel Tower by speaking in French, which Trump could not understand.

Their hands remained clasped, a near-fist-like grip stretching just past the moment of comfort. Then, as if recalibrating the balance, Macron placed a hand on Trump’s thigh.

Macron and Trump have perfected the political pas de deux. And in the high-stakes world of diplomacy, sometimes a well-placed pat says more than words ever could.