French President Macron dismisses viral video of wife pushing him away: Watch

A video surfaced showing what appears to be French First Lady Brigitte Macron pushing her husband away as they got off a plane in Vietnam. — Image credit: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

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Summary

Viral video

A video appears to show French First Lady Brigitte Macron pushing President Emmanuel Macron's face as they prepare to get off a plane in Vietnam.

French president's response

Macron's office said the two were "horsing around" and the video was taken out of context.

Full story

A video surfaced showing what appears to be French First Lady Brigitte Macron pushing her husband away as they disembarked from their plane on Sunday, May 25, in Hanoi. President Emmanuel Macron’s office initially denied the incident, but later confirmed that photos and videos of the incident were real.

Video of Emmanuel Macron’s arrival in Vietnam on Sunday (May 25) showed the French president being pushed sharply in the face seconds before he was due to step off the plane. Credit: Reuters

The president’s office later told reporters that the couple was joking around.

“It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around,” the president’s office later told reporters. “It’s a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists.”

Macron is in Vietnam as part of a week-long tour of Southeast Asia to promote France as an alternative to the U.S. and China during ongoing trade and tariff disputes.

Ally Heath (Senior Digital Producer) contributed to this report.

Tags: Emmanuel Macron, France, Vietnam

Why this story matters

A viral video showing French First Lady Brigitte Macron pushing President Emmanuel Macron's face as they arrived in Vietnam has sparked widespread media and public attention. It highlights the scrutiny faced by global leaders over both personal and public actions and the role of social media and misinformation in amplifying and interpreting such moments.

Media scrutiny

Media and the public intensely analyzed and speculated about the couple's brief interaction, demonstrating how even private moments of world leaders can become major topics of discussion and debate.

Misinformation and narratives

The rapid spread and various interpretations of the video illustrate the broader issue of misinformation and the potential for incidents to be manipulated or taken out of context.

Diplomatic context and distraction

The incident became a distraction from Macron's diplomatic visit to Vietnam and his broader tour in Southeast Asia, showing how personal moments can overshadow geopolitical agendas and international relations.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the Macron incident with a tone of skepticism and political caution, emphasizing the “shove” as a potentially embarrassing moment exploited by pro-Russian disinformation campaigns aiming to undermine Macron’s Southeast Asia tour.
Media outlets in the center remain more neutral and factual, focusing on Macron’s explanation of playful horseplay without delving into deeper political implications.
Media outlets on the right foreground spectacle and personal drama, using emotionally charged words like “smacked” and “insane” to portray a possibly strained or dysfunctional marital moment, thus injecting humor and skepticism about official denials.

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

French President Emmanuel Macron's office downplayed an incident where Brigitte Macron appeared to shove him in the face upon arrival in Vietnam, describing it as a harmless 'squabble.'
Video footage recorded Brigitte pushing Macron's face as they smiled and waved to the media, showing a playful exchange.
The trip marks the first visit by a French president to Vietnam in nearly a decade, focusing on promoting France's influence after recent tensions with the U.S.
Macron's visit includes signing deals worth 14 agreements, covering defense, aerospace, and cooperation in various sectors with Vietnam's leadership.

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Key points from the Center

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte appeared in a viral video showing her pushing his face as they arrived in Vietnam on May 26, 2025.
The incident occurred before they disembarked from the presidential plane at the start of Macron's first Vietnam visit in nearly a decade, aimed at boosting France's influence.
An Élysée official described the moment as playful teasing and a moment of closeness rather than an argument, while Macron himself called it a 'geo-planetary catastrophe' blown out of proportion.
Macron acknowledged the video's authenticity but condemned its weaponization by conspiracy theorists and pro-Russian trolls seeking to stir controversy amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
The incident’s downplaying highlights challenges posed by disinformation campaigns and social media in distorting public perception of political figures and sensitive events.

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See Hide headlines from Center sources 61 sources

Key points from the Right

French President Emmanuel Macron downplayed a video showing his wife, Brigitte Macron, shoving him in the face as they arrived in Vietnam for a Southeast Asia tour, saying it was just horsing around.
The couple, married since 2007, faced public speculation, but Macron's office called the incident harmless and criticized the spread of fake news.
Brigitte Macron's gesture went viral, causing a stir, but an Elysee official described it as 'a moment of closeness' before their busy diplomatic schedule.
Macron aims to strengthen ties with Vietnam during this visit, which is the first by a French president in nearly a decade.

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