The awkward 19-second greeting between Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe
Diplomacy is an art. And it can also be uncomfortable. That seems to be the phrase that best describes Friday's meeting between US President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Diplomacy is an art. And it can also be uncomfortable.
In a very public example of this phrase, it was not the warm relationship between President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that provoked more social networking after Friday's meeting.
Trump pulled Abe's hand, patted him several times and held it for 19 seconds.
When they completed the greeting, Trump turned away and Abe made a curious facial expression.
"Strong hands," Trump told Abe as the media stormed out of the room.
This happened after the somewhat abrupt arrival at the White House, when Abe's car took a very wide turn and had to make a move to avoid colliding with the West Wing.
Trump gave the prime minister a big hug in front of the cameras before going inside.
Finally, during the joint press conference, the tweeters began to speculate whether or not Trump was wearing his hearing aid for the translation.
Abe gave the lecture in its original language. Toward the end of the lecture, Trump seemed to take the hearing aid to his ear.
"Trump just put on his hearing aid while Prime Minister Abe speaks, but he still laughed at the joke about golf before when he did not bring it in. Does he speak Japanese?"
All this happened before Trump exclaimed with enthusiasm: "Let's go to Florida!"
Trump, Abe and their wives were scheduled to spend the weekend together at Trump's Sea-a-Lake property.
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