Paris, Friday. Donald Trump is leafing through his trusted tome, 50 Most Awkward Handshakes Through History (September 2016 edition).
"Melania, Melania! Stop watching The Handmaid's Tale and help me. I need to make sure I have at least three entries in the next edition of this book," the US President says to his wife in their suite at the five-star hotel that lost the ballot to host the First Couple.
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The most awkward handshake yet?
Donald Trump's handshake with French president Macron could possibly his most awkward to date.
"Oh, Donald, you have at least four years, maybe eight, to get in that book."
"Do I?"
The President flicks from page to page, wildly gesticulating as he tries to mimic some of the most #awkward greetings of all time.
DT: "Oh wow, Melania, I will have to really pull out my best work if I'm going to knock that three-way between Tony Abbott, Shinzo Abe and He Who Shall Not Be Named off top spot."
MT: "You mean the G20 greeting with President Ob..."
![President Barack Obama.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724121113im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/n/u/d/7/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x0.png/1416192652439.png)
President Barack Obama. Photo: Andrew Meares
DT: "STOP! We have spoken about this. His name is President Before Me, or President five syllables. DO NOT speak his name."
MT: "Yes, Mr President."
Trump thinks, his Cheezel-coloured complexion turning more orange as beads of sweat appear around his forehead.
He has to get back at that Emmanuel Macaroni, or whatever his name is, for that wimpish attempt to out handshake him in Brussels before NATO.
![U.S. President Donald Trump shakes has with French President Emmanuel Macron at the top of a meeting at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Brussels, Thursday, May 25, 2017. World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump are in Belgium to attend a NATO summit. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool)](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724121113im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/d/p/z/c/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x349.png/1498318440724.png)
The Brussels shake Photo: AP
That "yank and pull" arm grab with Mrs Macaroni ... that was just the warm-up act.
![Trump and first lady Melania Trump met with Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at Les Invalides in Paris.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724121113im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/a/y/i/q/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x349.png/1499993948651.png)
Donald Trump with Brigitte Macron in France Photo: AP
Yes, he thinks, this one will be his finest handshake yet.
It has to be on foot, outdoors and preferably with The Wives.
He will go in first with a strong shake to the French President, maybe 12 seconds, show him who's the Leader of the Free World (and French fries).
(Plan B: If Macron goes in with a sneaky hand on top, revert to the sneaky hand tap to flip the power grip.)
Then, a slap to the president's chest with his left hand, followed by a grab of the shoulder of The Wife. Keep holding Macron's hand. Kiss the wife (his, not Melania).
![French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, shakes hands with U.S President Donald Trump while First Lady Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron, left, walk on sides after the Bastille Day military parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris Friday, July 14, 2017. France's annual Bastille Day parade turned into an event high on American patriotism this year, marked by a warm embrace between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart. (Christophe Archambault, Pool via AP)](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724121113im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/b/t/w/4/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x349.png/1500081145780.png)
The world's most awkward handshake? Photo: AAP
Quickly, he'll transfer his oversized Cheezel hands to The French Wife. (Did you know she's 64? She's in such good shape.)
At this point, the French president will probably want to end this with a hand to my two hands holding her two hands. Are you following? Good.
Finally, a grip to Mr Macaroni's hand, a double pat and then let go. USA 1: France 0.
That's it. A 30-second handshake involving no fewer than six manouevres. Take that, Tony Abbott, Shinzo and the other guy.
OMG @chrislhayes playing the Benny Hill theme song to the sped-up Trump-Macron handshake I'M DYING LOLLERPOPS GENIUS #inners
— cristina gargoyl (@cristinagargoyL) July 15, 2017
please some foreign leader or spouse buy a novelty arm for the Trump Handshake so when he yanks it just comes off
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) July 13, 2017
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