French President Emmanuel Macron has denied suggestions of a “domestic dispute” after video showed his wife appearing to shove him in the face.
The moment was captured as the couple arrived in Hanoi late Sunday, local time. Mr Macron was preparing to exit the presidential plane when his wife, Brigitte Macron, pushed him, causing him to step back. He quickly recovered and waved to waiting cameras.
Ms Macron remained partially hidden behind the plane’s fuselage, making her body language unclear. The couple then descended the stairs together. She declined to take the president’s arm.
Speaking in Hanoi, Mr Macron brushed off the incident.
“I was bickering, or rather joking, with my wife,” he said. “It’s nothing.”
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He accused social media users of twisting recent footage and spreading misinformation. He labelled them “crackpots”.
Mr Macron referred to another video from his recent trip to Ukraine. It showed him picking up a crumpled white object from a table. Online users falsely claimed it was a bag of cocaine. He said it was a tissue.
His office later accused France’s “enemies” of pushing fake news.
An Elysee official also played down the Hanoi incident.
“It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the trip by having a laugh,” the official said. “It was a moment of closeness.”
Mr Macron is on a state visit to Vietnam- the first by a French president in nearly 10 years. He was welcomed in Hanoi by Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phong Ly.
France is looking to boost its influence in the region, especially in its former colony.
Vietnam is also under pressure. Its export-heavy economy has made trade concessions to the US to avoid major tariffs. Brussels is concerned Europe could lose out.
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 50 per cent tariffs on European imports. Two days later, he backed down. Talks with the EU are now set for July 9.