Macron Laughs Off ‘Face Push’ Video in Vietnam, Slams Online Conspiracy Theories

French president calls viral clip with wife Brigitte a ‘joke,’ blames trolls for fueling disinformation

French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed reports suggesting some kind of internal rift with his wife, Brigitte Macron. This took place after a clip went viral showing her seemingly shoving his face out of the way. This occurrence took place when they stepped off a plane in Hanoi. The moment, which was filmed mere seconds after the presidential couple touched down in Vietnam for the initial part of Macron’s Southeast Asia tour, went quickly viral on social media sites.

The short video clip depicts Brigitte’s hands coming from off-camera and resting on the president’s face as they both get ready to walk down the aircraft stairs. Macron, taken aback briefly, regained his cool soon and waved at the media. When he reaches out to Brigitte, she chooses instead to hold onto the handrail, adding more online speculation.

We Were Joking: Macron

Speaking in Hanoi to the media, Macron flatly dismissed the accusations of tension, saying the video was being overblown.

“There’s a video of me joking and teasing my wife, and all of a sudden it’s a geo-planetary disaster,” Macron said. “We were playfully going back and forth, I got surprised, but it was nothing.”

He condemned the social media storm that erupted afterwards, how quickly private moments get reinterpreted and politicized on social media. “Some are even developing theories to account for it. It’s ridiculous,” he said.

Elysee Palace Plays Down Incident

The Elysee Palace first dismissed the legitimacy of the video but eventually attempted to diffuse the scandal. A source in the President’s inner circle informed French TV station BFM that the incident was a “minor disagreement” and called it a “moment of togetherness.

Officials also cited a broader campaign of disinformation, with the suggestion that the video was pounced on by pro-Russian trolls and the far-out extremes of France. “No more was necessary to feed the grist of the conspiracy theorists,” an Elysée source stated.

Macron Points to Coordinated Campaigns

Macron claimed that this was not an isolated incident, alleging that even his recent videos of him doing everyday things, such as blowing his nose or laughing with his wife, were manipulated. 

He blamed the backlash on what he described as ‘networks that are quite well-traceable’, accusing ‘Russian actors’ and ‘domestic extremists’ of building the narrative for political purposes.

Diplomatic Mission Overshadowed

The video emerged as Macron arrived in Vietnam, marking the first visit by a French president to the country in nearly a decade. The tour aims to strengthen France’s strategic position in Southeast Asia and present Paris as a viable alternative to US and Chinese influence in the region.

A Viral Distraction

While the video continues to stir controversy online, Macron remains unperturbed. “These things happen,” he dismissed, waving aside the scandal as a misconstrued moment in private. As the president proceeds with his diplomatic efforts, the viral video reminds us of the potential and pitfalls of perception within the digital age.