The widely shared video of French President Emmanuel Macron being “slapped” by his wife Brigitte upon their arrival in Vietnam has been illuminated by a body language study.
Macron and Brigitte landed in Hanoi on Sunday, May 25, to begin a high-profile tour to South-East Asia that will also stop in
Singapore and Indonesia. However, video of a perplexing scene at the airplane door was already igniting the internet before they had even gotten out of the plane.
The video, which was recorded by AP, shows 47-year-old Macron standing by while employees open the door. Then all of a sudden, an arm seems to emerge from behind and firmly touch his face.
Seemingly taken by surprise, Macron waves to the awaiting audience before disappearing from view. Brigitte, 72, appears a few seconds later, and the two go down the stairs and onto the tarmac.
Although the internet quickly called it a “slap,” one expert contends it was something far more nuanced, and perhaps even premeditated.
