Video: Donald Trump And Emmanuel Macron's Viral 'Arm Wrestling' Moment In Egypt

US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron brought back their notoriously long, bizarre handshake to the red carpet at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt. The two leaders engaged in a 27-second-long handshake, during which time they posed for photographs-- tugging one another's arms and changing grips.

The duo's visibly uncomfortable handshake has gone viral on social media, with social media users pointing out that Trump and Macron seem to be engaged in an 'arm wrestle' as they greeted each other at Monday's peace summit.

Posting the video of the duo, an X user wrote, "Trump defeated Macron in a political arm wrestling. I knew he could take Macron, that is child's play."

#Watch | Trump And Macron's Viral 'Arm Wrestling' Moment In Egypthttps://t.co/jMYYGhJe4U pic.twitter.com/ikvdH2adGG

— NDTV WORLD (@NDTVWORLD) October 14, 2025

Another X user wrote, "Trump and Macron had an arm wrestling match. The presidents' meeting took place at the summit in Cairo on Gaza."

Trump and Macron's 'Arm Wrestling'

The clippings on social media showed Trump drawing the French President in for a handshake before the pair placed an affectionate hand on each other's upper arm to pose for photos. The embrace quickly transformed into something like an arm wrestling match, with both presidents swinging each other's hands from side to side as they engaged in an intense conversation. 

The French leader eventually freed himself from his American counterpart's grasp and hurried off the stage. But the footage brought back the memories of their 2017 interaction, when Trump and Macron locked hands for an eye-watering 29 seconds, with neither man willing to show a hint of weakness. 

Over the past eight years, Trump and Macron's relationship, often punctuated with enthusiastic handshakes, has sparked interest among global onlookers. In February, when the pair met in Washington, DC, to discuss a possible end to Russia's war against Ukraine, they awkwardly shook hands, turning many heads around them.

On Monday, Macron travelled to Egypt to express his support for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas backed by Trump. Macron's visit comes at a critical moment, as global leaders rally around efforts to end the conflict and lay the groundwork for long-term peace in the region.