US President Donald Trump on Friday responded to the viral video involving French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, saying the couple were ‘fine’ after the footage stirred speculation online as they arrived in Vietnam.
The now-viral video captured Brigitte Macron appearing to shove Emmanuel Macron’s face as the two disembarked from a plane in Hanoi during their Vietnam visit.
“He’s fine. They’re fine. They’re two really good people I know very well and I don’t know what that was all about,” Trump said when asked by a reporter during a press briefing at the Oval Office.
Trump was speaking at a press conference held at the White House alongside outgoing DOGE leader Elon Musk, who was being formally bid farewell by the three-times-married US President.
During the interaction, Trump was also asked whether he had any “world leader to world leader marital advice” for Macron, referencing the much-discussed video moment.
“Make sure the door remains closed,” Trump quipped, before adding, “That was not good.”
Did Brigitte Macron slap Emmanuel Macron?
The video clip, recorded last Sunday, was taken just as the French presidential plane landed in Hanoi. As the aircraft door opened, Emmanuel Macron was seen standing at the threshold, communicating with Brigitte Macron, who was still inside the cabin.
At that moment, a hand—belonging to Brigitte Macron—emerged from the doorway and appeared to push the French President’s face away, a gesture many interpreted as either aggressive or playful.
Macron looked briefly startled, but quickly composed himself upon realizing the boarding gate had opened and the media were already filming the couple’s arrival.
The footage quickly circulated in French and global media. One headline on the French daily Le Parisien’s website questioned, “Slap or ‘squabble’? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment.”
On Monday, Macron denied any marital discord, suggesting that the viral moment had been blown out of proportion by disinformation campaigns.
“We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,” Macron said. “Everyone needs to calm down,” he added.