President Trump held British Prime Minister Theresa May's hand during her visit to the White House, and complimented Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "strong hands" during his. But Trump's awkwardly tense first visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday took the cake.
While the two leaders sat side-by-side in the Oval Office to get their picture taken by the press, Trump made a point of avoiding eye contact with Merkel. Because the leaders were sitting just a foot apart, Trump was at times actively turning his head away to avoid meeting the German leader's gaze.
For possibly the longest 15 seconds ever, Trump and Merkel sat in absolute silence. "Send a good picture back to Germany please, make sure," Trump said, finally breaking the stifling quiet. That was the longest sentence he spoke in a minute-long clip of their sit-down, during which he never once directly addressed Merkel. While the two leaders have had tension in the past — Trump once said during the campaign that Merkel was "ruining" Germany — it's unclear what led to the frosty sit-down Friday.
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.
The meeting concluded with photographers asking the leaders to shake hands. Trump responded with silence. Watch below. Becca Stanek
-
Secured vs. unsecured loans: how do they differ and which is better?the explainer They are distinguished by the level of risk and the inclusion of collateral
-
‘States that set ambitious climate targets are already feeling the tension’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Mixing up mixology: The year ahead in cocktail and bar trendsthe week recommends It’s hojicha vs. matcha, plus a whole lot more
-
Labor secretary’s husband barred amid assault probeSpeed Read Shawn DeRemer, the husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has been accused of sexual assault
-
Trump touts pledges at 1st Board of Peace meetingSpeed Read At the inaugural meeting, the president announced nine countries have agreed to pledge a combined $7 billion for a Gaza relief package
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
