Donald Trump appeared visibly displeased during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in France on Monday, as the Group of Seven summit got underway in Évian-les-Bains.
Photographs from the encounter showed the US president frowning as he greeted Macron with an awkward-looking handshake, adding to the tense atmosphere surrounding the high-profile meeting.
According to body language expert Judi James, the exchange carried little warmth. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she described Trump’s reaction during the handshake as “very cold” and “emotionless.”
James said the moment seemed marked by discomfort, with Trump’s reserved demeanor creating an awkward scene. She noted that Macron slipped one hand into his pocket, a gesture she suggested may have been intended to project ease and confidence despite Trump’s impassive expression.
The strained body language comes against the backdrop of an increasingly frosty relationship between the two leaders during Trump’s second term. Trump has recently criticized Macron as an unreliable ally in connection with the Iran war, pointing in particular to France’s decision not to become involved.
That tension also appeared to carry into a televised sit-down between the pair, where Trump seemed disengaged, looking away as Macron spoke.
‘Trump’s pose suggested an air of detachment or boredom as Macron spoke and at times he even looked sleepy, performing some of those long blinks of his, while his hands were loosely clasped between his knees,’ said James.
‘Macron’s body language suggested a boyish desire to engage Trump,’ she added.
President Donald Trump flashes a frown while offering a contorted handshake to French President Emmanuel Macron
During a brief televised appearance with Macron, Trump looked distracted, gazing off into the distance as the French President spoke
Trump did show signs of a warm relationship with the French leader, however, noting how he called Macron on Sunday to congratulate him that a French Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter won his bout at the White House event.
‘In the heavyweight division a French fighter won. I don’t know, is that maybe more important than the World Cup? To some people it might be,’ Trump said, sounding hoarse after a red-eye flight to France after the Sunday evening UFC event.
‘It’s an honor to be with you, thank you very much,’ the US President told his French counterpart.
Macron offered congratulations to the US President for signing a memorandum of understanding with Iran to draw down the three and a half month war, saying that the deal is very important for the Middle East.
Macron told reporters that he will discuss critical minerals, AI and more with Trump over the coming days at the G7.
Despite being at times at odds, Trump has also defended Macron in the past from his MAGA base.
‘”Crazy” Candace Owens, who accuses the Highly Respected First Lady of France of being a man, when she is not, and will hopefully win lots of money in the ongoing lawsuit,’ Trump wrote in April.
‘Actually, to me, the First Lady of France is a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it’s not even close!’
Despite their past disagreements over NATO defense spending, trade disputes and climate policy, Trump has appeared to ingratiate himself more with Macron during his second term.
Wife of France’s President, Brigitte Macron walks during the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 15, 2026. Trump has pushed back on some of his MAGA supporters for claiming that Brigitte is a man
Macron praised Trump’s efforts to wind down the war in Iran on Monday
In a 2019 interview, Macron described NATO as ‘brain dead,’ a comment that Trump called ‘very, very nasty’ and ‘insulting.’
Macron has also opposed Trump over his desire to annex Greenland, and for instituting tariffs on France last year, which were later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Trump also teased that he may attend the MOU signing ceremony himself, which is scheduled to take place on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, about an hour’s drive from the G7 summit.
‘I may be involved, I may not,’ Trump said.
The President noted that the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway off of the coast of Iran through which a fifth of the global oil supply flows, will be open by Friday.
The exact language of the MOU signed by Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary leader Mohammad Ghalibaf is expected to be released in the next 24 to 48 hours, a senior administration official told the Daily Mail.
The deal, once signed, stipulates that a 60-day negotiation period will ensue so specifics can be hashed out to wind down the war.
The US has committed to lifting its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz should Iran commit to allowing the free transit of vessels through the Gulf.
It will prevent Iran from ever creating a nuclear weapon, stipulates that Iran’s nuclear material will be destroyed and extracted from the country and immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
If Iran follows through on the commitments, then the US will provide economic relief by lifting sanctions on the Islamic Republic and work to reintegrate the country into the global economy.
However, if Iran is found noncompliant with the agreement, they will not receive anything in return, the senior administration official noted.
