Donald Trump's Feeble 'Limp Wrist' Handshake with Macron Sparks Health Alarm at G7 Arrival

Donald Trump's latest handshake with Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit in France has reignited online debate about his health, after cameras caught the former US president greeting his French counterpart with a visibly weak grip and an oddly angled arm. The brief 'limp wrist' moment stood out partly because it contrasted so sharply with Trump's long‑standing reputation for forceful, showy handshakes on the world stage.

Trump and Macron's handshakes have become a running sideshow at international summits over the years. The pair are known for turning routine greetings into mini power struggles, gripping hard and holding on long after the cameras have got what they need. This time, at least on video, the energy seemed to vanish from one side of the equation.

Limp Wrist G7 Handshake Puzzles Viewers

Arriving at the Hotel Royal Evian for the G7, Trump was first welcomed by US Ambassador to the French Republic Charles Kushner before heading towards Macron for a bilateral meeting. As the two leaders reached for each other, Trump appeared to abandon his trademark firm grip and instead extended a limp wrist, barely curling his fingers around Macron's hand.

The handshake, offered at an awkward angle, lasted only briefly and looked tentative compared with their usual white‑knuckle encounters. Social‑media footage shared from the scene quickly drew attention to Trump's right hand, which some viewers claimed appeared discoloured.

There has been no official medical comment about Trump's health and no confirmation of any injury or condition affecting his hand. With no on‑the‑record detail, the online speculation remains exactly that and should be treated with caution.

Once inside, Trump shifted the conversation to safer territory: sport. Turning to Macron after the uncomfortable greeting, he brought up a fight staged at the White House the previous evening.

'So I want to congratulate the president,' Trump said, referring to Macron, before praising French fighter Cyril Ghosn. 'Last night, Cyril Ghosn won the fight against a great fighter, supposed to be unbeatable. And Cyril is from France.'

Macron replied that he had not watched the bout live. 'But I saw it this morning,' he said. Trump pushed straight on, calling it 'a great fight' and 'a great evening at the White House', adding: 'I was very proud.' It was a familiar Trump flourish, but the online conversation had already moved back to his hand.

Social Media Fixates On Trump's 'Feeble' Grip

Clips of the limp wrist G7 handshake spread across X, Instagram and elsewhere within hours, as officials stayed silent and the usual crop of amateur body‑language commentators and online health speculators weighed in.

'Wait a minute, what kind of diplomatic handshake is this? Can someone explain it to me?' one user wrote under a widely shared video, capturing the general sense of bafflement.

Another, focusing on the apparent change in colour in Trump's hand, said: 'Hiding that hand for his dear life.' Others thought the wrist angle looked 'off' and wondered if he was trying not to move it.

The moment jarred because it clashed with Trump's long‑cultivated image. A hard, emphatic handshake has been part of his brand for years, a low‑key dominance ritual with everyone from CEOs to fellow leaders. For those who follow this closely, the missing tugging, pumping motion jumped out.

No US or French officials have commented on the greeting or the health rumours. With no medical detail and no formal explanation, the theories remain where much social‑media speculation ends up: unverified and circulating in the background.

From Tug‑Of‑War To Limp Wrist: A Trump–Macron Handshake History

If this latest limp wrist G7 clip felt muted, it is only because the backstory has been so combative.

To recall, Trump and Macron have a long history of theatrical greetings. During a 2025 meeting outside the Oval Office, the pair locked into what observers called a 'tug‑of‑war' handshake. Trump clamped down on Macron's hand and yanked it towards him, only for the French leader to pull back sharply. They stayed rigid, hands locked together, as reporters shouted questions.

Fox News later rolled the footage in slow motion, almost like a boxing replay. 'There it is, we saw President Trump firmly grip the hand of Emmanuel Macron there, and a little bit of a pull back there from Macron,' host and former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told viewers. 'Been a bit of a battle going back to 2017.'

Since 2017, every Trump–Macron handshake has been scrutinised for clues about who is up, who is down and who looks keener to project strength. Commentators on both sides of the Atlantic have treated the prolonged gripping and shoulder‑patting as a low‑stakes proxy tussle, pitching Trump's brash nationalism against Macron's polished, Europhile diplomacy.

Online audiences have followed the pattern for years. After one especially extended greeting, an X user noted that 'Macron held his own against Trump's macho handshake arm tug'. Another joked: 'Experts say a 20‑second hug releases the love hormone, oxytocin. Do you think Trump and Macron's handshake releases oxytocin?'

Set against that history, the feeble‑looking, limp wrist G7 handshake lands differently. Was it simple fatigue, an awkward camera angle or something more serious? On the evidence available, nobody can say.

What is clear is this. At a summit meant to focus on security, economics and global crises, a five‑second clip of two men briefly touching hands managed to take a share of the coverage. That reflects how closely Trump's physical presence is still watched, and how quickly even a small moment, like a changed handshake, can feed wider concerns about his health.