Trump comments on Macron wife slap
US President Donald Trump has said Emmanuel Macron is 'fine' following an incident in which his wife Brigitte appeared to slap her husband aboard their plane.
The footage, which quickly went viral, was filmed as the French first couple arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 25 to begin a Southeast Asia tour. As the aircraft door opened, Macron was seen speaking to someone off-camera. Two arms in red sleeves then reached out and pushed his face, covering his mouth and jaw. He stepped back, smiled, and waved after noticing the cameras. Brigitte, wearing a red jacket, soon appeared beside him. Macron offered his arm, which she declined, and the two walked down the stairs together.
Asked on Friday if he had any marital advice for Macron, Trump quipped, 'Make sure the door remains closed.'
He added, 'That was not good,' and said he had spoken to Macron after the incident. 'He's fine, they're fine,' Trump said.
'They're two really good people I know very well,' he added. 'I don't know what that was all about.'
Macron has downplayed the incident, telling reporters the moment was simply the two of them 'having fun.'
He also addressed two other recent viral clips. 'A lot of lunatics are spending their days interpreting all these videos,' he said.
One clip, filmed on a train to Ukraine, showed Macron with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The French president briefly hid a small object, prompting online rumors of drug use, which the Elysee palace called baseless.
Another, from the European Political Community summit in Albania two weeks ago, showed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gripping Macron's finger while seated, a gesture some interpreted as a power play.
Macron confirmed all three videos were genuine but dismissed the narratives around them.
He and Brigitte have been married since 2007. The couple met when he was a student and she was a teacher at his high school in Amiens. She is 24 years older than her husband.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
Musk dismisses NYT drugs claim
Elon Musk has denied allegations of drug abuse following a New York Times report detailing his purported heavy use of controlled substances during Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. On Friday, the NYT released an article alleging that the mogul was using the substances 'far more intensely than previously known.' In a post on X on Saturday, Musk brushed off the allegations, writing: 'Also, to be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.' He added that he had 'tried prescription ketamine a few years ago' and had publicly disclosed this fact. 'This [is] not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven't taken it since then,' Musk stressed. The Times had alleged that Musk was taking so much ketamine that it was affecting his bladder, a known effect of chronic use. The article also claimed, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Musk took ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms and traveled with a daily medication box containing about 20 pills including the stimulant Adderall. The NYT stated that it is unclear whether Musk was taking drugs when he joined the Trump administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was tasked with slashing the federal bureaucracy. However, it mentioned that during his tenure as a public servant, the businessman 'exhibited erratic behavior,' insulted cabinet members, and at one point made a controversial gesture that many interpreted as a Nazi-style salute. On Thursday, Musk announced that he would no longer serve as a government employee. He thanked Trump 'for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending' while stating that DOGE would continue its operations. While Trump noted that Musk 'is really not leaving' and was 'going to be back and forth,' the announcement came amid multiple reports of a rift between the mogul and administration officials. In March, the NYT reported that Musk had clashed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over firings in his department and with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over air traffic control regulations. Musk also recently voiced disappointment over Trump's spending bill, which he said would increase the deficit and undermine DOGE's mission.
Russia Today
10 hours ago
- Russia Today
China rejects comparisons between Ukraine conflict and Taiwan
Drawing parallels between Taiwan and the Ukraine conflict is 'unacceptible,' the Chinese Embassy in Singapore said in response to remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron had delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday in which he rejected those who would frame the conflict as a purely European concern. 'If we consider that Russia could be allowed to take a part of the territory of Ukraine without any restriction… What could happen in Taiwan?' he said. 'Comparing the Taiwan question with the Ukraine issue is unacceptable. The two are different in nature, and not comparable at all,' the embassy said on Facebook on Saturday, reiterating that the issue of Taiwan is 'entirely China's internal affair.' Crimea voted to join Russia shortly after the 2014 US-backed coup in Kiev, and four other former Ukrainian regions did the same following referendums in 2022. Moscow has demanded that, for a viable peace deal, Ukraine must recognize Russia's new borders and withdraw its troops from Russian territory. Taiwan has had a separate government since 1949, when nationalists retreated to the island after losing a war with the Communists in mainland China. Beijing maintains that it will achieve 'national reunification' and has warned the authorities in Taipei against formally declaring independence. Only a handful of countries recognize Taiwan as an independent country, while most states, including the US and Russia, adhere to the 'One-China' principle. Nevertheless, multiple Western countries maintain informal ties with Taiwan.
Russia Today
16 hours ago
- Russia Today
China rejects comparing Ukraine conflict to Taiwan
Drawing parallels between Taiwan and the Ukraine conflict is 'unacceptible,' the Chinese Embassy in Singapore said in response to remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron. 'Comparing the Taiwan question with the Ukraine issue is unacceptable. The two are different in nature, and not comparable at all,' the embassy said on Facebook on Saturday, reiterating that the issue of Taiwan is 'entirely China's internal affair.' The statement was released shortly after Macron delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday. 'If we consider that Russia could be allowed to take a part of the territory of Ukraine without any restriction… What could happen in Taiwan?' he said. Crimea voted to join Russia shortly after the 2014 US-backed coup in Kiev, and four other former Ukrainian regions did the same following referendums in 2022. Moscow has demanded that, for a viable peace deal, Ukraine must recognize Russia's new borders and withdraw its troops from Russian territory. Taiwan has had a separate government since 1949, when nationalists retreated to the island after losing a war with the Communists in mainland China. Beijing maintains that it will achieve 'national reunification' and has warned the authorities in Taipei against formally declaring independence. Only a handful of countries recognize Taiwan as an independent country, while most states, including the US and Russia, adhere to the 'One-China' principle. Nevertheless, multiple Western countries maintain informal ties with Taiwan.
