Since taking office in January, President Trump and Melania Trump have shared many precious moments in public, but last week, we witnessed the first lady reject President Trump’s attempts to hold her hand by swatting it away.
The world lost its mind when a video emerged showing first lady Melania Trump avoiding President Trump’s hand. This incident happened when the president and first lady arrived in Tel Aviv during the second day of his Rainbow Tour of the Middle East. As they were walking down a red carpet on the tarmac in Israel, Trump reached for her hand and, with a swift flick of her wrist, she appeared to swat his hand away.
The next day, something similar happened again.
As the two were exiting Air Force One in Rome, Melania snubbed President Trump again by casually pulling her hand away when he reached for it. What appeared to be a deliberate snub could have been a simple hair slick, but the internet went wild anyway.
These public displays of rejection have gone viral and have everyone asking: Why is Melania not into touching President Trump in public?
While the reason for her actions remains unclear, we still witnessed those awkward moments. Other presidents seemed to not have difficulty holding hands or showing affection with their wives in public, after all.
It’s apparent former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama held hands in public and show affection for each other, even at big events and ceremonies. But other notable former presidents also made sure they gave the impression that they were enjoying the company of their spouses.
Metro looks back at notable former United States presidents locking hands with their wives, showing affection in public.
