Macron’s Hanoi visit takes an unexpected turn
French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent diplomatic trip to Vietnam took an unexpected twist when a viral video showed his wife, Brigitte Macron, appearing to slap or push him in the face. The footage, captured as the couple disembarked from their plane in Hanoi, quickly gained traction online, prompting a wave of speculation and media coverage.
The video shows Brigitte Macron reaching out and placing her hands on the president’s face in what some interpreted as a slap. The Élysée Palace, however, downplayed the incident, calling it a “light-hearted moment” between the couple. President Macron later addressed the media buzz himself, describing the gesture as “harmless play fighting between spouses.”
Trump weighs in with signature humour
The incident caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who was asked about the matter during a press event at the White House. As he fielded questions at a send-off for Elon Musk, a Fox News correspondent asked Trump if he had any “world leader-to-world leader marital advice” for Macron.
Without missing a beat, Trump replied with a grin: “Make sure the door remains closed.”
The comment drew laughter from those gathered in the Oval Office. Trump, who has been married three times, went on to reassure reporters that the French first couple is doing just fine.
“I spoke to him,” Trump said. “He’s fine. They’re fine.”
“They’re two really good people. I know him very well, and I don’t know what that was all about,” he added, choosing his words with characteristic caution. “But I know him very well, and they’re fine.”
Musk chimes in with a black eye anecdote
Adding a moment of levity to the exchange, tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was also present, drew attention to his own visible injury. “I know a little shiner here,” Musk joked, referencing his black eye. He later explained that the bruise came from a playful scuffle with his son, affectionately nicknamed “Little X.”
The intersection of viral moments and high-level diplomacy provided both amusement and commentary on the pressures — and occasional absurdities — of public life at the highest levels.
