On February 24, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the United States. Following this, claims have been spread on social media that Donald Trump did not personally greet Macron at the entrance of the White House, thus violating protocol and diplomatic etiquette. These claims were accompanied by a video showing French President Macron entering the White House accompanied by the Chief of Protocol, with Trump not visible at the door.
The circulated information and video claiming that Donald Trump disrespected Emmanuel Macron’s visit by not greeting him at the entrance are manipulative. In reality, the public meeting between the U.S. and French presidents was scheduled for 12:15 PM according to protocol, and footage confirms that Trump did meet Macron at the entrance. Moreover, it is important to note that U.S. presidents do not always personally welcome foreign leaders at the entrance, as this sometimes conflicts with the White House schedule but does not constitute a protocol violation. There have been multiple instances in the past where U.S. presidents did not personally greet key allied leaders, including prime ministers of the United Kingdom.
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Did Trump Greet Macron at the Door?
It is important to note that the circulated video showing French President Emmanuel Macron being received by the White House Chief of Protocol, Monica Crowley, is authentic and was recorded on the morning of February 24. Macron was at the White House for two different meetings: the first took place in the morning with G7 leaders, in which both Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron participated via video call. Later, the French and U.S. presidents held a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference.
According to the White House schedule, the G7 meeting was set for 8:00 AM, while Trump’s official reception of Macron was scheduled for 12:15 PM.
Therefore, at the designated protocol time, Donald Trump did greet Emmanuel Macron at the door, and the White House released footage of this meeting.
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Does Not Greeting a Foreign Leader Constitute a Violation of Diplomatic Etiquette?
The White House’s protocol practices show that the U.S. president may not always greet foreign leaders at the entrance. However, this does not imply a lack of respect toward them. At times, the president’s schedule is too busy to allow for a formal public greeting, while in other cases, a private closed-door meeting precedes the public reception, as was seen in the case of Emmanuel Macron’s visit. For instance, on February 13 of this year, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the White House, he was also received at the entrance by the White House Chief of Protocol.
Looking at past meetings, both Trump and other U.S. presidents have not always greeted guests at the entrance, including leaders of key allied nations such as the United Kingdom.
For example, on January 16, 2015, then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited the White House, but Barack Obama did not meet him at the door. Similarly, on September 13, 2024, during the visit of current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he was received by President Biden’s Chief of Protocol, Ethan Rosenzweig.
There are many other examples in relation to the United Kingdom as well as other countries, including key U.S. allies in the Middle East, such as Jordan and Israel. In both cases, the King of Jordan in 2016 and the Prime Minister of Israel in 2009 were greeted at the entrance by the White House Chief of Protocol during their visits to the U.S.
Therefore, the claim that President Trump violated diplomatic etiquette and showed disrespect by not initially greeting Emmanuel Macron at the door is purely speculative and not based on facts.
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