About this rating
In June 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, hosted U.S. President Donald Trump at the Palace of Versailles, a former royal residence near Paris.
Following that visit, some people on social media shared an image that depicted Trump attempting to kiss Brigitte Macron as she tries to push him away. The French president is also present in the image, although he is gesturing in the direction of the camera instead of looking at the other two. One Facebook post said of the image:
NO , THIS IS NOT AI !!
This is awkward greeting between US President Donald Trump and French First Lady Brigitte Macron, while French President Emmanuel Macron looks on with a strained facial expression.
The greeting occurred on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, directly following the high-stakes G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
As Trump leaned in for a traditional double-cheek kiss greeting, Brigitte Macron appeared to awkwardly pull back or snub the second kiss.
It was just one of many snubs from leaders and their spouses that day ! 😁
(Facebook user Gary Bap)
Users shared the image on Threads (archived), X (archived) and elsewhere on Facebook (archived), frequently with assurances that the image was authentic. Snopes readers searched the site and sent emails asking whether the image was as real as the people spreading it claimed.
In actuality, the image contained clear evidence being generated with artificial intelligence and was first posted by someone who referred to it as satirical. Therefore, we’ve rated the claim originated as satire.
At the bottom right of the full image (some users shared a cropped version), a watermark for “Menacing Pansy” was visible. “Menacing Pansy” is the name used by Rebecca Stafford (archived), who is identified as a “digital creator” on her Facebook account. Her about description includes: “If I stamp it Menacing Pansy, it is satire created by me.”
She posted the image (archived) of Trump trying to kiss Brigitte Macron on June 18 with the caption, “Sorry, I just had to. 😏 Satire.” The Menacing Pansy watermark is visible in her post.
There are several pieces of evidence that make apparent the image has been edited by artificial intelligence tools.
The most easily identifiable giveaway is that Brigitte Macron’s thumb fades into the same shade of white as the handbag she’s holding, ultimately merging into the exterior of the bag.
Consulting real photos from the event further prove the image was created through the use of AI.
One Getty photo is of Trump and the Macrons together in front of the the same marble stairs, with Emmanuel Macron set in the exact same pose as he appears in the satirical version of the image. Trump is facing away from both Macrons in that photo.
A Reuters photo reveals an unobscured, head-on view on Brigitte Macron, and more specifically of her dress. The white floral design at her chest in that photo extends down only one arm. However, the AI-generated image incorrectly depicts that floral design extending down both of her arms.
Depending on the situation, a common French greeting is a light kiss on each of a person’s cheeks. Two other Getty photos show Trump and Brigitte Macron doing this without the latter trying to push away the former. There were no Getty photos from the meeting of Macron rejecting any attempted kisses by Trump.
For further reading, we’ve debunked the false rumor that Brigitte Macron is transgender.
Baptiste, Guillaume. “TOPSHOT – France’s President Emmanuel Macron Reacts as He Welcomes US…” Getty Images, 17 June 2026, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/frances-president-emmanuel-macron-reacts-as-he-welcomes-us-news-photo/2281471675?adppopup=true. Accessed 19 June 2026.
Grooms, Celine. “La Bise: Our Guide to French Kissing Culture.” LingoCulture, 5 Feb. 2024, lingoculture.com/blog/culture/la-bise/. Accessed 19 June 2026.
“Rebecca Stafford.” Facebook.com, www.facebook.com/IAmRebecca.Stafford. Accessed 19 June 2026.
Stafford, Rebecca. “Sorry, I Just Had To. 😏 Satire.” Facebook.com, 18 June 2026, www.facebook.com/IAmRebecca.Stafford/posts/pfbid02wR5urc7CSctjqx1s9ddGq9g5FJrytDfLRSZ3mQtNLmmeXyVBdyZtv5sEybiU75jNl. Accessed 19 June 2026.
Yalcin, Mustafa. “French First Lady Brigitte Macron, French President Emmanuel Macron,…” Getty Images, 17 June 2026, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/french-first-lady-brigitte-macron-french-president-emmanuel-news-photo/2281493512. Accessed 19 June 2026.
—. “French First Lady Brigitte Macron, French President Emmanuel Macron,…” Getty Images, 17 June 2026, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/french-first-lady-brigitte-macron-french-president-emmanuel-news-photo/2281493449. Accessed 19 June 2026.
—. “US President Trump – French President Macron Meeting in Versailles.” Reuters Connect, 17 June 2026, www.reutersconnect.com/item/us-president-trump-french-president-macron-meeting-in-versailles/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX01UMUFOQURMMDAwU0YySVM0. Accessed 19 June 2026.
Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA’S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games.
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