Trump brushes 'dandruff' from Macron's shoulder

President Trump paused as he spoke to reporters as he stood next to French President Emmanuel Macron and brushed an invisible speck of dandruff off his counterpart's shoulder, saying that Macron needed to look "perfect."

The move brought back memories from when as a teenager, my friend Phil's older brother made a public display of greeting me by tapping my cheek with a fairly soft slap while asking me, "How are you doing, Bobby?"

I never liked the sobriquet, Bobby, and even more, I hated the dominant slap. It didn't hurt at all, but it was Jimmy's way of getting the upper hand, showing everyone around he was boss, cool, not the anal sphincter most people thought him to be. 

He never slapped me hard enough to start a scuffle, but it came close a few times.

Macron smiled without comment while Trump told the media that reports of the US's "special" relationship with France wasn't "fake news," then turned to the President of France and removed a make-believe speck of dandruff from his suit.

It was rude and it made me angry.

"They're all saying what a great relationship we have, and they're actually correct. It's not fake news. Finally, it's not fake news. [Trump repeats everything he says at least once]. It's a great honor, a great honor [see] that you're here, in fact I'll get that little piece of dandruff, that little piece," Trump said, laughing out loud.

"We have to make him perfect. He is perfect. So it's really great to be with you, and you are a special friend. Thank you," Trump said and shook Macron's hand.

Trump and Macron have had awkward physical contacts in the past, most famously, the aggressive handshake ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels last year.

Macron told reporters afterward that Trump's gesture "wasn't innocent." However, he didn't criticize Trump any further.

"One must show that you won't make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but also not over-publicize things, either," he told Le Journal du Dimanche in May. 

Trés  bien.

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