President Donald Trump was widely criticized for attempting his awkward tug-of-war-style handshake while greeting King Charles III at the White House on Monday, only for Charles to shut him down.
Charles addressed a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday, becoming only the second British monarch to do so after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who spoke in 1991. His speech came as Trump has repeatedly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Britain’s refusal to back the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Video of the moment Trump greeted Charles has attracted attention because Trump extended his hand and went in for his usual tug-of-war handshake only for Charles to hold his ground and tug right back, thwarting Trump's attempt at dominance.
You can watch what happened below.
The tug-of-war handshake has attracted attention before.
For example, The Guardian once observed that "the peculiar thing about Trump’s handshake style is his habit of pushing people away or, more commonly, pulling them towards him during the handshake," adding that "news clips are full of examples of Trump pumping people’s hands and then yanking them towards him."
The publication notes that "there’s even a shot of him yanking Neil Gorsuch’s arm so violently during a handshake that the poor unsuspecting judge momentarily loses his balance."
And indeed, Chris Ulrich, a body language expert, once told the New York Times that Trump "will open his hand in beggar’s pose, toward the candidate, and then pull him in toward his body ... It literally takes a moment for Gorsuch to recover."
Seeing Trump meet his match in King Charles had people cackling.
The president was dragged online just weeks ago after attempting a similar move with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña at the inaugural "Shield of the Americas" summit.
In a 16-second clip from the encounter, Trump is seen repeatedly tugging Peña’s hand during a handshake, while Peña maintains a steady grip and remains composed. The two briefly pull back and forth while smiling for the cameras before releasing their hands and turning to have a short conversation.
Trump has been observed doing the same thing with world leaders like Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, and the late Shinzo Abe, and critics have similarly suggested that many of these handshakes have been described as a way for Trump to assert his superiority.
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