A professional lip reader has claimed that President Donald Trump issued a chilling warning to French President Emmanuel Macron at the recent Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit in Egypt.
The October 13 gathering, hailed by the 79-year-old US leader as a “historic day,” marked the signing of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The summit was co-hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and brought together more than 20 global leaders, excluding Israel and Hamas representatives, to discuss a transitional plan for Gaza.
A Shaky Start to Diplomacy
According to the Daily Mail, lip reader Nicola Hickling said the leaders exchanged strained pleasantries that quickly escalated during a near half-minute handshake described by observers as more of a power struggle than a greeting.
“Nice to see you, so you agreed?” Trump reportedly asked as he gripped the 47-year-old's hand.
When Macron turned for a photograph and replied, “Of course,” Trump allegedly followed up with, “Okay, so now I want to know why, you hurt me. I already know,” while tightening his grip.
Tensions Behind the Smile
The context of Trump’s accusation remains unclear, but it comes weeks after Macron publicly mocked Trump over a geographical mix-up between Armenia and Albania.
Macron has also clashed with Trump over France's recent support for Palestinian statehood - something the US leader condemned as “honoring Hamas".
The conversation reportedly continued with Trump stating: “I am making peace,” to which Macron replied: “Ah, come on.” Trump then delivered what Hickling described as a jibe: “I only hurt those who hurt others,” while gesturing toward the cameras.
The French president appeared to issue a warning of his own: “You will see what is about to happen.”
“I’d like to see you do it, do it. I’ll see you in a bit,” Trump concluded.
Power Play
The handshake and dialogue, if accurately interpreted, underscore the long-running, complex dynamic between the two leaders.
Hickling said that the gesture resembled past instances of “power play by touch” between Trump and Macron, including their famously drawn-out and forceful handshakes during earlier state visits.
“Tapping the hand, looking down, and then turning away are classic appeasement/de-escalation gestures," Hickling noted, suggesting Macron may have been trying to de-escalate a moment of performative dominance, Irish Star reported. "That mismatch increases the likelihood this was friendly-theatre mixed with a clear assertion of control," she added.
The summit itself concluded with Trump announcing a framework for rebuilding Gaza, though he stopped short of endorsing a two-state solution.
“We're talking about rebuilding Gaza,” Trump said, per Sky News. “I'm not talking about single state or double state or two-state. We're talking about the rebuilding of Gaza.”
He also introduced a transitional authority plan chaired by himself, and declared: “We've achieved what everybody said was impossible; at long last, we have peace in the Middle East."