The reception for German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on Friday seemed less than warm.
President Donald Trump sat next to Merkel facing photographers and video cameras before their joint press conference later Friday afternoon. When photographers asked for a handshake, Merkel leaned over to Trump and seemed to ask him if he wanted to do a handshake.
Trump didn’t appear to respond to the question, and he didn’t look over at Merkel as she leaned over to speak to him. It’s unclear if it was a deliberate snub or if it was unintentional.
During his campaign, Trump accused Merkel of “ruining Germany” with liberal refugee policies, which some critics argue could make countries more susceptible to terrorism.
Before the awkward handshake interaction, Trump said to those gathered in the room, “Send a good picture back to Germany, please, make sure.” He was asked how his talk with Merkel went, and he replied, “Good.”
There are photos from earlier in the day showing Trump and Merkel shaking hands.
Watch the awkward interaction below:
-
The.Looks.On.Their.Faces.Merkel: â¬SDo you want to have a handshake?â¬Trump: [crickets. scene.] pic.twitter.com/LLFxuyGDY0
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) March17, 2017
The.Looks.On.Their.Faces.Merkel: â¬SDo you want to have a handshake?â¬Trump: [crickets. scene.] pic.twitter.com/LLFxuyGDY0