Power grip of leaders: Macron says Trump handshake was ‘moment of truth’

Former reality TV star Trump is known to make visitors flinch with a strong handshake that he often combines with a wrench of the arm to leave his victim off balance.

French President Emmanuel Macron says his now famous white-knuckle handshake showdown with US counterpart Donald Trump was “a moment of truth” designed to show that he’s no pushover.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting at the US Embassy in Brussels on May 25. (AP Photo)

Macron told a Sunday newspaper in France that “my handshake with him, it wasn’t innocent.”

“One must show that you won’t make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but also not over-publicise things, either,” Macron added.

Macron’s office confirmed to The Associated Press the veracity of the president’s comments in Le Journal du Dimanche.

At their first meeting, ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday, the two men locked hands for so long that knuckles started turning white. The French leader held the shake for a few seconds more. Both men’s jaws seemed to clench.