Camilla Jessen
Video clip of a tense moment on the tarmac goes viral as experts weigh in on what may really have been said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron found themselves in the center of a media frenzy after a seemingly awkward moment during their arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The moment has sparked speculation, memes, and now, a professional lip reader’s analysis.
In the viral footage, as the presidential plane door opens, Brigitte appears to reach out and push or slap her husband’s face. Only her arm is visible in the initial frame, but the movement looks sudden and forceful.
Macron, caught in full view of the cameras, tries to keep his composure, lifting his hand in an awkward wave as aides watch nearby.
“A Joke,” Says Macron
The president brushed it off, calling the moment “a joke between my wife and me” that was blown out of proportion.
“Everyone needs to calm down,” he told reporters afterward, dismissing the swirling attention as media hysteria.
But not everyone is convinced. A professional lip reader, interviewed by The Express, offered a very different take after closely analyzing the footage.
“As the plane door opens, President Macron turns to Brigitte. She clearly pushes him — right in front of the crew,” the lip reader explained.
One staffer is seen reacting visibly, brushing a hand nervously through his hair as if unsure how to respond.
The expert continues: “Brigitte walks past Macron down the stairs and brushes off his attempt to hold her arm.
As she passes, she appears to mutter, ‘Dégage, espèce de loser,’ or ‘Stay away, you loser.’”
Macron reportedly responds with “Essayons, s’il te plaît”, or “Let’s try, please.”
Her response? A sharp “Non.”
“Je Vois”
According to the lip reader, Macron’s face hardens, and he says, “Je vois” — “I see.”
The expert notes that this moment and the expression that follows speak volumes about the tone of the interaction.
“This wasn’t light-hearted. His whole posture and reaction show someone trying to mask tension in a very public moment.”
The president’s team, however, insists otherwise.
A spokesperson from the Élysée Palace called it “a moment of complicity” between the couple, saying the incident had been seized on by “conspiracy theorists.”
Still, the contrast between the official explanation and what body language — and possibly lips — revealed, has fueled online speculation.
The First Lady, known for her private demeanor, has not issued a statement.
The Macron couple has long drawn public attention due to their 25-year age gap and their untraditional love story, having met when Emmanuel was her student in high school.
Married since 2007, their relationship has often been portrayed as deeply bonded and unconventional, but this incident has reminded the world that even presidential couples have off days.