Latest news with #conspiracyTheorists
Fox News
28-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Macron dismisses viral moment with wife as 'joking around' after disinformation claims backfire
French President Emmanuel Macron allegedly argued that video images showing his wife Brigitte pushing him away with both hands in the face on Monday were a pro-Russian disinformation campaign. "Brigitte's hands #Macron brought to the PR's face at #Hanoï : the Élysée initially denied the veracity of the images, suggesting a video generated by AI and relayed by pro-Russian accounts, before finally authenticating the sequence and evoking a moment of "complicity," a post from the French outlet, Brèves de presse, claimed. Although Macron's office initially denied the authenticity of the images, The Associated Press later confirmed them as genuine. His office has continued to downplay the incident following the initial attempt to suggest a pro-Russia disinformation campaign. "It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It's a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists," his office said. Macron has also told reporters that the couple were just joking around. "We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife," he said, adding that the incident was being overblown into "a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe." Video of the incident showed a uniformed man opening the plane door as Macron was seen wearing a suit and standing in the doorway. Brigitte Macron's arms – in red sleeves – could be seen reaching out and pushing Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jaw. The French president turned his head away but suddenly noticed news cameras capturing the moment. He quickly smiled and waved before exiting the door frame. Macron and his wife later disembarked the stairs of the aircraft together. The French president offered his arm, though the first lady – seen wearing a red blazer – did not take hold of it. The video quickly went viral and was mainly promoted by accounts that have been accused of being habitually hostile to the French leader. "For three weeks … there are people who have watched videos and think I shared a bag of cocaine, that I had a fight with the Turkish president, and that now I'm having a domestic dispute with my wife," said Macron. "None of these are true. Everyone needs to calm down."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Macron's office dismisses viral video showing apparent shove from wife Brigitte
French President Emmanuel Macron's office moved swiftly on Monday to defuse attention around a viral video showing his wife Brigitte pushing his face away as they deplaned in Vietnam for the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour. The short clip shows the aircraft door opening with Macron appearing in the doorway. Seconds later, both of Brigitte Macron's hands reach from the side and presses against the president's face in what looks like a sudden shove. Macron appears momentarily surprised but quickly regains his composure and waves to the press outside. As the couple descend the steps, Macron offers Brigitte his arm, which she does not take, opting instead to hold the railing. The Élysée initially denied the incident on the plane, before later moving to downplay its significance. It was a 'moment of togetherness,' according to an Élysée source. 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were unwinding one last time before the trip began, playfully teasing each other,' the source told CNN Monday. 'No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,' the source added, saying pro-Russian trolls were quick to spin the moment into controversy. Macron has been at the forefront of efforts to agree a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The incident in Hanoi comes as Macron faces another swirl of online disinformation. Earlier this month the Élysée dismissed as 'fake news' a viral claim - amplified by Kremlin officials - that the French president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The rumor, traced back to pro-Russian accounts, falsely claimed a crumpled tissue Macron picked up was a cocaine bag. The Élysée posted a rebuttal online with the caption: 'This is a tissue. For blowing your nose… When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.' The Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova fueled the claim, suggesting the scene was part of a wider European dysfunction. French officials condemned the campaign as part of ongoing efforts by Moscow to weaken Western unity on Ukraine and manipulate peace discussions through false narratives and social media manipulation.
CNN
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Macron's office dismisses viral video showing apparent shove from wife Brigitte
French President Emmanuel Macron's office moved swiftly on Monday to defuse attention around a viral video showing his wife Brigitte pushing his face away as they deplaned in Vietnam for the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour. The short clip shows the aircraft door opening with Macron appearing in the doorway. Seconds later, both of Brigitte Macron's hands reach from the side and presses against the president's face in what looks like a sudden shove. Macron appears momentarily surprised but quickly regains his composure and waves to the press outside. As the couple descend the steps, Macron offers Brigitte his arm, which she does not take, opting instead to hold the railing. The Élysée initially denied the incident on the plane, before later moving to downplay its significance. It was a 'moment of togetherness,' according to an Élysée source. 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were unwinding one last time before the trip began, playfully teasing each other,' the source told CNN Monday. 'No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,' the source added, saying pro-Russian trolls were quick to spin the moment into controversy. Macron has been at the forefront of efforts to agree a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The incident in Hanoi comes as Macron faces another swirl of online disinformation. Earlier this month the Élysée dismissed as 'fake news' a viral claim - amplified by Kremlin officials - that the French president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The rumor, traced back to pro-Russian accounts, falsely claimed a crumpled tissue Macron picked up was a cocaine bag. The Élysée posted a rebuttal online with the caption: 'This is a tissue. For blowing your nose… When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.' The Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova fueled the claim, suggesting the scene was part of a wider European dysfunction. French officials condemned the campaign as part of ongoing efforts by Moscow to weaken Western unity on Ukraine and manipulate peace discussions through false narratives and social media manipulation.
CNN
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Macron's office dismisses viral video showing apparent shove from wife Brigitte
French President Emmanuel Macron's office moved swiftly on Monday to defuse attention around a viral video showing his wife Brigitte pushing his face away as they deplaned in Vietnam for the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour. The short clip shows the aircraft door opening with Macron appearing in the doorway. Seconds later, both of Brigitte Macron's hands reach from the side and presses against the president's face in what looks like a sudden shove. Macron appears momentarily surprised but quickly regains his composure and waves to the press outside. As the couple descend the steps, Macron offers Brigitte his arm, which she does not take, opting instead to hold the railing. The Élysée initially denied the incident on the plane, before later moving to downplay its significance. It was a 'moment of togetherness,' according to an Élysée source. 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were unwinding one last time before the trip began, playfully teasing each other,' the source told CNN Monday. 'No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,' the source added, saying pro-Russian trolls were quick to spin the moment into controversy. Macron has been at the forefront of efforts to agree a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The incident in Hanoi comes as Macron faces another swirl of online disinformation. Earlier this month the Élysée dismissed as 'fake news' a viral claim - amplified by Kremlin officials - that the French president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The rumor, traced back to pro-Russian accounts, falsely claimed a crumpled tissue Macron picked up was a cocaine bag. The Élysée posted a rebuttal online with the caption: 'This is a tissue. For blowing your nose… When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.' The Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova fueled the claim, suggesting the scene was part of a wider European dysfunction. French officials condemned the campaign as part of ongoing efforts by Moscow to weaken Western unity on Ukraine and manipulate peace discussions through false narratives and social media manipulation.
CNN
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Macron's office dismisses viral video showing apparent shove from wife Brigitte
French President Emmanuel Macron's office moved swiftly on Monday to defuse attention around a viral video showing his wife Brigitte pushing his face away as they deplaned in Vietnam for the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour. The short clip shows the aircraft door opening with Macron appearing in the doorway. Seconds later, both of Brigitte Macron's hands reach from the side and presses against the president's face in what looks like a sudden shove. Macron appears momentarily surprised but quickly regains his composure and waves to the press outside. As the couple descend the steps, Macron offers Brigitte his arm, which she does not take, opting instead to hold the railing. The Élysée initially denied the incident on the plane, before later moving to downplay its significance. It was a 'moment of togetherness,' according to an Élysée source. 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were unwinding one last time before the trip began, playfully teasing each other,' the source told CNN Monday. 'No more was needed to feed the mills of the conspiracy theorists,' the source added, saying pro-Russian trolls were quick to spin the moment into controversy. Macron has been at the forefront of efforts to agree a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The incident in Hanoi comes as Macron faces another swirl of online disinformation. Earlier this month the Élysée dismissed as 'fake news' a viral claim - amplified by Kremlin officials - that the French president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The rumor, traced back to pro-Russian accounts, falsely claimed a crumpled tissue Macron picked up was a cocaine bag. The Élysée posted a rebuttal online with the caption: 'This is a tissue. For blowing your nose… When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.' The Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova fueled the claim, suggesting the scene was part of a wider European dysfunction. French officials condemned the campaign as part of ongoing efforts by Moscow to weaken Western unity on Ukraine and manipulate peace discussions through false narratives and social media manipulation.
