The Latest Installment of President Trump and Melania's Awkward Body Language Is Here, and Twitter Is Cringing
Michelle and President Barack Obama gave us plenty of public displays of affection that made our hearts burst during their eight-year tenure in the White House. Fast forward to September 2017: nine months in to President Trump‘s administration, he and First Lady Melania have given us some very different body language: namely, recurring bouts of awkwardness.
There was the dance to Sinatra’s “My Way” at the president’s inauguration, where Melania “retracted” her head from her husband. A few months later, in May, there were two separate hand-swats by Melania as the two country-hopped on a whirlwind overseas tour: one in Israel as the couple walked the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport and another in Rome. (After he was denied the hand-hold, he put his hand on Melania’s butt instead.) Suffice it to say the First Couple doesn’t seem especially cozy.
Now there’s one more awkward hand-holding incident to add to the history books. And yes, Twitter is cringing.
At a dual appearance at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, Melania introduced Trump to the stage to make a few remarks. But as he took the podium, instead of greeting Melania in the traditional sense—say, a kiss on the cheek—the pair took part in a very cold, uncomfortable handshake before what looks like Trump shooing her offstage.
The moment was captured in a video Irish journalist Catriona Perry posted to Twitter on Saturday. As a private citizen, my first thought as I watched is that at least they’re not publicly batting away physical contact anymore (that’s worth noting, right?).
As with anything Trump does, Twitter users made their thoughts on the awkward encounter known. Watch the video for yourself below—and then scroll down for some of Twitterer’s reactions to the moment.
https://twitter.com/CaitrionaPerry/status/908790578321620992
Chrissy Teigen, naturally, had something to say, as did a few of her followers:
A few questioned if that is simply the done thing in the frigid upper echelons of society:
Others really noticed the shooing bit:
Some echoed earlier hashtags of #FreeMelania and #SadMelania:
Others recreated the moment, to stunning effect:
RELATED: Awkward: Watch Melania Trump Swat Away Donald’s Hand When He Tried to Hold It