Trump turns on the charm after extended ‘alpha’ handshake with Macron and kisses for Brigitte at Palace of Versailles

President Donald Trump turned on the charm Wednesday night as he arrived at the Palace of Versailles for a lavish dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. 

After their trademark extended handshake, which lasted around 10 seconds, and a kiss on each of Brigitte’s cheeks, Trump commended the first couple of France.  

‘This is so beautiful. We thank the President, and Brigitte is an amazing woman,’ Trump gushed. 

Trump was at the famous French palace to have a bilateral dinner with the Macrons, but the White House also said that the President signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran during the stop – as the Iran war dominated the conversation at this week’s G7. 

He’s been huddling with other world leaders since Monday in Évian-les-Bains, the part of France that touches Lake Geneva. 

It was long-rumored that Trump would visit Versailles on this trip to France.

But the President’s schedule didn’t officially change until Tuesday, as he made a pitstop to the palace, located about 10 miles outside of Paris, before flying back to the United States.

The President said he accepted the invitation from Macron, whom he’s criticized and even mocked, trying his best at a French accent, because ‘I’m a fan of beautiful places.’ 

‘Versailles is not a gold leaf. Versailles is a real deal,’ Trump said. 

Macron explained away the dinner to critics by saying it was to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, as France played a pivotal role in the US’s independence. 

Versailles was chosen because it was ‘a historic symbol of Franco-American friendship,’ an Élysée official told the Guardian. 

It was also likely chosen because of the President’s well-known adoration for opulence. 

Since arriving back at the White House in January 2025, one of Trump’s top projects has been the construction of a White House ballroom. 

He’s also taken on many other White House construction projects, including painting parts of the Oval Office gold. 

The President received a personalized tour of some of the rooms of Versailles before dining with the Macrons in the Lower Gallery. 

In true European style, the dinner didn’t kick off until 10:53 PM local time. 

The menu consisted of white asparagus with lobster and caviar, chicken roasted with truffles and slices of potatoes roasted with some Comte cheese – gratin Dauphinois – and for dessert, hot chocolate pie with vanilla ice cream, the White House said.

Onlookers to the pairs meeting were fascinated to see how the two leaders would greet one another. 

The duo have shaken hands uncomfortably a number of times over the years with their ‘death clasp’ handshakes having gone viral.

Footage from 2017 shows the two leaders locking hands for 29 seconds straight. 

Last year, the pair met outside the White House and saw them gripping onto one other for an excruciating 12 seconds as they posed for photos. 

In October 2025, an embrace between the two leaders  soon turned into something akin to an arm wrestle as the two presidents exchanged what seemed like intense conversation while swinging their opposite number’s hand from side to side. 

During a May 2017 meeting ahead of the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump and Macron gripped hands so tightly that their knuckles turned white and their jaws clenched. 

Macron said at the time that the clinch of a handshake was ‘not innocent’ and meant to be a ‘moment of truth’ showing his US counterpart that the French leader would not be intimidated. 

They shared several more bizarre handshakes during Trump’s first term, which ended in January 2021. 

In December 2024, after Trump returned to the White House, the pair were reunited in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame, which had been severely damaged in a April 2019 fire.  

Trump and Macron were back at it with the intense handshakes during the trip.

Earlier this week at the G7, Macron got caught on a hot mic appearing to discuss Trump with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who’s had a rocky relationship with the American leader. 

Zelensky appeared to tell Macron that he would be meeting with Trump at the international summit. 

The leaders spoke quietly for over twenty seconds before Macron rejoined more audibly, ‘OK, we’ll arrange that.’ 

Zelensky did get his Trump meeting, with Macron being the one who orchestrated the gathering on the sidelines of the G7. 

Reporters were kept away, however, after Trump and Zelensky’s 2025 meeting in the Oval Office turned into a shouting match.