Macron downplays wife pushing him in the face during Vietnam trip

HANOI, — French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that a moment caught on camera showing his wife, Brigitte, appearing to push his face during their arrival in Vietnam was “nothing serious,” downplaying any speculation about the brief exchange.

In footage recorded as the presidential couple disembarked late Sunday, Brigitte Macron was seen reaching toward her husband’s face, causing him to step back slightly before he continued down the aircraft stairs. She briefly stayed behind the plane’s side, obscuring further view, before rejoining Macron as they descended without linking arms.

“It was a joke between my wife and me,” Macron said during a press briefing in Hanoi. “This has been misinterpreted, as has happened recently with other videos.”

He referenced a separate viral video from a recent train journey in Ukraine, where he was filmed removing a small white object from a table. Some online accounts alleged — without evidence — that it was cocaine. Macron clarified it was a tissue. The French presidency accused hostile actors of promoting misinformation.

An Élysée spokesperson described the moment on the tarmac as “a relaxed, personal interaction” between the couple before beginning the official program in Southeast Asia.

Brigitte was once Emmanuel’s teacher during his high school years

Brigitte Macron has long been a visible presence alongside the president, with their relationship attracting attention since its early days.

The two met in the early 1990s at Lycée la Providence, a Jesuit high school in Amiens, where Brigitte, then 39, taught French, Latin, and drama. Emmanuel Macron, then a 15-year-old student, was cast in a school play she directed.

At the time, Brigitte was married with three children. As their relationship developed, Macron’s parents sent him to Paris to continue his education. Despite the distance, the pair remained in contact.

Brigitte later divorced, and they were married in 2007. Since then, she has played a consistent role in the president’s public life, both at home and abroad.

Macron’s trip marks the first visit by a French leader to Vietnam in almost ten years. France is seeking to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties in the region, especially in areas with historic connections to its colonial past.

Vietnam, with its export-led economy, has made trade concessions to the United States amid ongoing negotiations, attempting to avoid tariffs as high as 46%. However, officials in Brussels have raised concerns that Vietnam’s efforts to accommodate U.S. trade demands may affect European exports.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a 50% tariff on European goods. He later moderated his position, restoring a July 9 timeline for discussions between Washington and Brussels.

(With files from Reuters | Agencies)