The handshake that stole the show: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's pre-debate moment is going viral

In a highly anticipated showdown, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee President Donald Trump went head-to-head in a debate that has everyone talking. As expected, social media is buzzing with reactions to their policy stance and the duo's distinct styles. However, there's one standout moment that's stealing the spotlight¡ªand it happened before a single word was spoken on stage: the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump handshake! This unexpected gesture has sparked, memes and a flurry of speculation about what it all means.

Check out the moment here:

Kamala walked over to Trump to give a handshake. #Debatenight #debate #TrumpHarrisDebate pic.twitter.com/WiXVS3uc34

¡ª Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) September 11, 2024

The presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 10, hosted by ABC News.

This was the first time ever that Harris and Trump met face to face.

The debate took place just eight weeks before the U.S. general elections on Tuesday, November 5.

How did people react?

kamala grabbing trump¡¯s hand when he was abt to go straight to the podium pic.twitter.com/j76yEdew8s

¡ª miko hancock (@boajupiter) September 11, 2024

kamala knew trump was gonna try to be a dick and not shake her hand, so she went to him and MADE him shake her hand ?#debate #Debate2024 pic.twitter.com/I0A5pkPbW2

¡ª bob. (@bedchem_) September 11, 2024

Alpha female power move by Kamala ?

Trump would never have shook her hand. And her move to shake his hand like that established dominance from the start. Nice work.https://t.co/Dx9B8rLeuZ

¡ª JON DEE (JonDee.com) (@JonDeeOz) September 11, 2024

Kamala chases Trump down for the handshake- Trump says - have fun ? pic.twitter.com/TkvFGinGuS

¡ª Karli Bonne¡¯ ?? (@KarluskaP) September 11, 2024

Kamala walked right up to Trump and shook his hand.

Shes the bigger person but also conveying huge strength here.

pic.twitter.com/TaYbw9Hyzj

¡ª CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) September 11, 2024

Kamala Harris walks up to Donald Trump to make sure she gets a hand shake from him pic.twitter.com/5HOuDvemGe

¡ª ryan ? (@scubaryan_) September 11, 2024

I thought this a nice gesture from Kamala going over to shake Donald Trumps hand .. says a lot of the kind of person she is .. pic.twitter.com/5lXsrz91Yb

¡ª Martha (@MGonigle) September 11, 2024

On Reddit, the handshake between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump quickly became the topic of conversation.

One user summed it up with, "I wasn't expecting a handshake whatsoever."

The comment section erupted with reactions, many expressing surprise at the unexpected gesture and noting how "Trump was not prepared for that, you could tell."

Some saw it as a strategic move by Harris, with one commenter declaring, "Power move. He wanted to refuse. She cornered him, right up in his space. Brilliant strategy from the start."

Another echoed this sentiment, urging, "Power move. Assert dominance, Kamala!"

The comments continued with one user speculating, "He tried to run away like a coward. He probably thought she was going to KO him. She had to chase him down to shake his hand."

The consensus seemed clear: the handshake was more than just a polite gesture¡ªit was a calculated display of dominance.

As another Redditor put it, "It was a show of dominance from her to start."

Now, it's a countdown to November 5, when Americans will head to the polls to elect their next President.

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