Emmanuel Macron¡¯s wife pushes his face in viral Hanoi video, ?lys¨¦e calls it playful, netizens say it¡¯s more than teasing

A short video of French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron¡¯s arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam, has gained attention online. As the door of the aircraft opened, President Macron appeared in the doorway. Moments later, Brigitte Macron¡¯s hands were seen pushing against his face in what resembled a slap or shove. Although the president appeared briefly startled, he quickly recovered and waved to those waiting outside. As the couple descended the stairs, Macron extended his hand discreetly toward his wife, a gesture he is known for. However, Brigitte did not respond, choosing instead to hold the railing.

?lys¨¦e clarifies: A private moment between the couple

Initially, the ?lys¨¦e Palace denied the incident. However, as the video circulated widely, the presidential office changed its position and attempted to downplay the event. A close aide to President Macron described the moment as a common interaction between spouses. Another official later said the couple was simply ¡°unwinding one last time before the trip began, playfully teasing each other.¡± The same source described it as a moment of ¡°togetherness¡± and suggested that criticism of the video was primarily coming from online groups sympathetic to Russia.

?? @lanacioncom Antes de bajar del avi¨®n en su llegada a Vietnam, el presidente de Francia, Emmanuel Macron, recibi¨® una "bofetada" por parte de su esposa, Brigitte. pic.twitter.com/jRPlQzKfpO

¡ª La Voz De Veraguas (@LaVozDeVeraguas) May 26, 2025

Link to ongoing online campaigns against Macron

This is not the first time Macron has been the subject of viral content online. Earlier this month, the ?lys¨¦e also responded to a claim suggesting the president was using cocaine aboard a train to Kyiv. The footage showed Macron with a crumpled tissue, which some pro-Russian accounts claimed was drug-related. Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on the footage, linking it to what she described as dysfunction within Europe.

The ?lys¨¦e publicly refuted the cocaine claim, calling it ¡°fake news¡± and clarifying that the object in question was a tissue. The rebuttal posted by Macron¡¯s office read: ¡°This is a tissue. For blowing your nose¡­ When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation makes a simple tissue look like drugs.¡±

Macron and disinformation campaigns around Ukraine

The video of the Hanoi incident and the train footage are part of what French officials see as a broader disinformation effort by pro-Russian entities. Macron has been a prominent figure in pushing for a coordinated European stance on supporting Ukraine following Russia¡¯s full-scale invasion in 2022. French officials believe these online narratives are designed to undermine European unity and shift attention away from peace efforts by creating distractions through manipulated content and conspiracy theories.

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