And everyone’s talking about it.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the latest world leader to pay the White House a visit under Trump's administration, and unsurprisingly it’s all anyone can talk about.
During his appointment on Monday, Trudeau kept his cool, negotiating the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement and pushing for advances for women. It wasn’t that, however, that got the world talking. Instead it was Trudeau’s controlled handshake with the US president.
Donald Trump has been known for his awkward handshakes, supposedly using a specific power play routine to dominate his counterparts.
The trademark Trump shake starts with the president extending his hand palm up in a submissive position, before reasserting his dominance with a surprise arm yank that knocks the recipient off balance, then he seals the handshake with a few friendly pats.
With world leaders, however, Trump’s handshaking skills seem to fall apart – with the president giving Theresa May’s hand a few too many clumsy taps, and sharing a very uncomfortable greeting with Obama last month. His worst on record, however, has to be poor Shinzo Abe, with Trump uncomfortably shaking the bewildered Japanese Prime Minister’s hand last Friday for a whopping 19 seconds.
Justin Trudeau was clearly warned about this in advance, going in to the visit fully prepared, and beating Trump at the handshake game yesterday.
Upon arrival at the White House, Trudeau grasped Trump’s shoulder immediately as he shook his hand, preventing him from being victim to the surprise arm yank and pat.
Later in the Oval Office, during a photo session, Trump tried again, extending his hand (palm up), hoping to give Trudeau his trademark handshake.
The Canadian Prime Minister, however, seemed to know what he was doing, schooling the president by refusing to be pulled into his vice-like grip and instead shaking his hand in the way that he wanted to. His facial expression, however, was not so subtle and has become an internet meme.
