Donald Trump watched US and French troops march down the Champs-Elysees in Paris today as he joined the celebrations to mark Bastille Day.
Acknowledging previous tensions over issues such as Trump's "travel ban" and the US's withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement, Macron indicated that the two leaders had agreed to disagree, reports the BBC.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We have disagreements. Mr Trump had election pledges that he took to his supporters and I had pledges. Should this hinder progress on all issues? No," he said.
Macron, 39, and Trump,71, may have more in common than they would care to admit - not least the fact they both face mounting political scandals at home.
The US President was dogged throughout his trip to France with questions about his son Donald Trump Jr's 2016 meeting with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer. Trump himself is under investigation for a possible obstruction of justice following his sacking of former FBI director, James Comey.
Meanwhile, a formal investigation has been opened in France into allegations of cronyism at an event to promote French business at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last year, reports the Guardian.
Macron, a guest speaker at the "French tech night", is not under investigation, but his labour minister Muriel Penicaud may be. At the time, Penicaud was head of Business France, which organised the event.
The incipient scandal in Paris may not have grabbed today's headlines, but it is simmering in the background - as is the two men's competitiveness.
While Trump is known for his domineering handshakes, he may have met his match. "On at least one, and maybe two, occasions during the tug of war Trump tries to pull away and Macron just keeps holding on," CNN reports.
"My handshake with him, it's not innocent," Macron said today. "It's not the alpha and the omega of politics, but a moment of truth."
-
Political cartoons for October 26Cartoons Sunday’s editorial cartoons include Young Republicans group chat, Louvre robbery, and more
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots againIn the Spotlight US president apparently warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Vladimir Putin’s terms or face destruction during fractious face-to-face
-
The UK-made Storm Shadow missiles Ukraine is using in RussiaThe Explainer Ukraine reportedly deployed the long-range British missiles this week, following a tense meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
The WW2 massacre dividing Senegal and FranceUnder the Radar A new investigation found the 1944 Thiaroye attack on ‘unarmed’ African soldiers was ‘premeditated’, and far deadlier than previously recorded
-
What is Donald Trump planning in Latin America?Today’s Big Question US ramps up feud with Colombia over drug trade, while deploying military in the Caribbean to attack ships and increase tensions with Venezuela
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
Remaking the military: Pete Hegseth’s war on diversity and ‘fat generals’Talking Point The US Secretary of War addressed military members on ‘warrior ethos’
