Macron Dismisses Controversial Video of Wife's 'Shove' as Nonsense

Emmanuel Macron, responding to a viral video showcasing a playful push from his wife upon their arrival in Vietnam, labeled the interpretations as absurd and indicative of ongoing disinformation attempts directed toward him.

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, recently addressed a viral video that appeared to show his wife, Brigitte Macron, pushing him in the face as they exited a plane in Vietnam. As footage circulated, drawing widespread attention and speculation, Mr. Macron quickly sought to dispel rumors surrounding the incident.

He described the moment captured on camera as a lighthearted exchange, noting that they were “bickering and rather joking around,” a normal occurrence in their relationship. “I’m surprised by this turning into a global catastrophe, with people concocting theories to explain it,” Mr. Macron remarked on Monday, dismissing the interpretations as “nonsense.”

His remarks came during the first day of a five-day state visit to Southeast Asia. The video, which showed a stunned Macron momentarily taken aback by the surprising gesture, was met with scrutiny and conjecture by online commentators and on conservative media outlets in France.

In light of the scrutiny, Macron attributed the exaggerated responses to a broader wave of disinformation targeting him in recent weeks. He referenced a previous incident where a seemingly innocuous tissue was mischaracterized as a “bag of cocaine” during a trip to Kyiv. The Élysée Palace had responded then, denouncing the fabrications as part of a strategy to undermine his presidency.

Beyond the tissue incident, he pointed to another manipulative narrative regarding a handshake with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, compounded with allegations of marital discord stemming from the Vietnam incident. “It’s been three weeks of absurdity,” he lamented, urging people to focus on real issues rather than sensationalized stories.

Despite Mr. Macron’s efforts to clarify the situation, the video continues to fuel speculation. Conservative political commentators are exploiting the scenario to suggest potential domestic issues within the Macron household, with claims that the playful shove indicates a lack of respect in their relationship.

The incident exemplifies both the fragile nature of public perception in the age of social media and the use of viral moments for political discourse, as Mr. Macron continues to navigate an increasingly polarized landscape.