Five of Donald Trump’s most famous handshakes
After Emmanuel Macron endured another death grip from US president Trump, here are five other times he has tested the circulation of his opposite numbers
Donald Trump has again given a very literal take to the phrase “keeping a grip on power” by giving the hand of Emmanuel Macron a good squeeze.
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Having already had an awkward moment with Sir Keir Starmer, the US president then lived up to his reputation of giving other heads of state a “death grip”.
Read also: White House hits back after Trump Nobel Peace Prize snub
During the exchange, Mr Macron tried to release his hand from Mr Trump’s grasp and walk off stage but the American leader appeared unwilling to let go.
From reportedly cheating at golf to being less than flattering about his Windsor Castle banquet, Mr Trump is known for his unconventional behaviour as president.
However, his handshakes have, over two terms as POTUS, taken on a particular legend. Here are some of his greatest hits.
A tango in Paris
In 2017, footage of the men went viral after they locked hands for 29 seconds.
There have been several other circulation-stopping shakes between the two presidents, but an early one in both their terms stood out for its epicness.
Mark of a special relationship?
Theresa May visited the White House in January 2017 and was seen to walk alongside Mr Trump, while holding hands.
The then-prime minister later said: "We were walking along, he said there was a ramp around the corner and it might be difficult walking down it so to take his arm.
"And then when we got to the top of the ramp he took my hand, just to go down the ramp and that was it ... I think it was to assist."
The Trudeau show
Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau (in this news this week for dating Katy Perry) came to the White House prepared in 2017 - and clung on as Mr Trump gripped his hand. “Canada and the United States will forever be a model of how to be good neighbours,” Mr Trudeau said at the end.
Tango 2: Macron’s Fightback
In June 2018, the two leaders shook hands multiple times at the G7 summit, including one handshake which left the shape of Mr Macron’s thumb imprinted onto Donald Trump’s hand.
Footage from the time shows Angela Merkel laughing at the exchange.
‘Is it over now?’
And let’s leave the pick of the bunch to the late Shinzo Abe - the Japanese prime minister who endured a 19 second handshake with Donald Trump in 2017.
He appeared to breathe a sigh of relief after surviving the marathon.