A lip reader has claimed to uncover the tense exchange between Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during a bizarre 26-second handshake at a global summit in Egypt on October 13.
The two leaders, who have had a rocky relationship over the years, met at the summit to discuss the Gaza ceasefire. What was meant to be a brief greeting turned into an unusually long and awkward handshake — complete with grip changes, arm pulls, and a battle for dominance that left viewers cringing.
According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling (via Mirror US), Trump initiated the exchange by saying, “Nice to see you, so you agreed,” to which Macron, facing slightly away from the camera, appeared to reply, “Of course.”
Trump then reportedly asked, “Is it genuine?” before adding, “Okay, so now I want to know why. You hurt me. I already know. I am making peace.”
As Macron tapped Trump’s hand and said “excuse me,” the American leader seemed to tighten his grip. Macron allegedly responded, “Let’s handle this behind closed doors.”
Trump is then said to have replied, “I only hurt the other,” before Macron fired back, “I see. We will see about that — you will see what is about to happen.”
Trump’s final five-word response — described by Hickling as a thinly veiled “threat” — was reportedly: “Do it. I’ll see you.”
The handshake, lasting nearly half a minute, quickly went viral on social media. Viewers joked that the scene looked “less like diplomacy and more like a WWE staredown.”
One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “These two have turned handshakes into power plays — this is diplomacy, WWE edition.”
The interaction follows weeks of tension between the two leaders after Macron supported recognizing Palestine as a state, a move Trump claimed “honors Hamas.” Despite the strained relations, both agreed to continue their talks privately after the summit.
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