https://sg.news.yahoo.com/donald-trump-addresses-emmanuel-macrons-194703978.html
Sat, 31 May 2025 at 3:47 am SGT·3-min read
Neil Hall - Pool/Getty
Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron chat in France in 2019 while their wives stand nearby
So when reporters asked the president for his thoughts on the recent viral moment between French President Emmanuel Macron, 47, and his wife, Brigitte, 72 – in which the first lady appeared to shove her husband in the face as they deboarded a plane — he offered a bit of "world leader to world leader" advice.
"Make sure the door remains closed," Trump, 78, joked at an Oval Office press conference on May 30, referencing how their private moment was in plain sight of reporters.
He then addressed the incident more seriously, noting, "I spoke to him and he's fine, they're fine."
"[They're] two very good people," added the president, who has been married to first lady Melania Trump since 2005. "I know them really well, I know him really well, and they're fine."
LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty; AP Photo/Hau Dinh
Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron disembark from their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 25 after a private moment was caught on camera
The incident occurred when the French couple was exiting the presidential plane after arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam, for the start of a Southeast Asia tour on May 25.
Despite the politician initially appearing a little surprised by the push, it didn't take long for him to compose himself. The couple then walked down the plane's steps together.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Élysée Palace initially denied the accuracy of the images, per French outlet Le Figaro. However, they have since downplayed the incident.
A palace official said, "It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness," per Reuters.
The BBC also caught the incident on camera, which President Macron later laughed off, saying the couple were "just joking about as we do."
"We are bickering and joking with my wife, and a video becomes a sort of geoplanetary catastrophe," he explained to reporters the following day, according to ABC News. "In the world we live in, we don't have a lot of time to lose [on such topics]."
An Élysée Palace spokesperson didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.
The Macrons' marriage had a controversial start, as Brigitte was a 39-year-old drama teacher at a Catholic school in northern France when Emmanuel, then 15, developed feelings for her.
Brigitte told Paris Match in a 2023 interview that considering a relationship with her now-husband was initially "crippling" due to their 24-year age gap. When Emmanuel's parents found out about their romance, they sent him to boarding school in Paris.
However, the pair kept in touch and eventually married in October 2007, about 10 years before Emmanuel was elected president of France.
Donald Trump Addresses Emmanuel Macron's Viral Slap Incident with Wife, Giving His One Piece of Marriage Advice
Trump was asked what "world leader to world leader" advice he would give the French president, after cameras recently caught France's first lady appearing to push her husband in the face
Meredith KileSat, 31 May 2025 at 3:47 am SGT·3-min read
Neil Hall - Pool/Getty
Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron chat in France in 2019 while their wives stand nearby
NEED TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump offered advice to French President Emmanuel Macron days after a viral moment in which his wife, Brigitte, appeared to push him in the face.
- Trump said he'd spoken to Macron following the incident and that he and his wife were "fine."
- At the time, President Macron laughed it off, saying he and his wife were "just joking about as we do."
So when reporters asked the president for his thoughts on the recent viral moment between French President Emmanuel Macron, 47, and his wife, Brigitte, 72 – in which the first lady appeared to shove her husband in the face as they deboarded a plane — he offered a bit of "world leader to world leader" advice.
"Make sure the door remains closed," Trump, 78, joked at an Oval Office press conference on May 30, referencing how their private moment was in plain sight of reporters.
He then addressed the incident more seriously, noting, "I spoke to him and he's fine, they're fine."
"[They're] two very good people," added the president, who has been married to first lady Melania Trump since 2005. "I know them really well, I know him really well, and they're fine."
LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty; AP Photo/Hau Dinh
Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron disembark from their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 25 after a private moment was caught on camera
The incident occurred when the French couple was exiting the presidential plane after arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam, for the start of a Southeast Asia tour on May 25.
Despite the politician initially appearing a little surprised by the push, it didn't take long for him to compose himself. The couple then walked down the plane's steps together.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Élysée Palace initially denied the accuracy of the images, per French outlet Le Figaro. However, they have since downplayed the incident.
A palace official said, "It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness," per Reuters.
The BBC also caught the incident on camera, which President Macron later laughed off, saying the couple were "just joking about as we do."
"We are bickering and joking with my wife, and a video becomes a sort of geoplanetary catastrophe," he explained to reporters the following day, according to ABC News. "In the world we live in, we don't have a lot of time to lose [on such topics]."
An Élysée Palace spokesperson didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.
The Macrons' marriage had a controversial start, as Brigitte was a 39-year-old drama teacher at a Catholic school in northern France when Emmanuel, then 15, developed feelings for her.
Brigitte told Paris Match in a 2023 interview that considering a relationship with her now-husband was initially "crippling" due to their 24-year age gap. When Emmanuel's parents found out about their romance, they sent him to boarding school in Paris.
However, the pair kept in touch and eventually married in October 2007, about 10 years before Emmanuel was elected president of France.
