Fact Check: Is the viral image of Brigitte Macron pulling away as Trump tries to kiss her real?
PARIS, FRANCE: Following the 52nd G7 Summit held in France, an image began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, pulling away from President Donald Trump trying to kiss her, sparking debate. Let us analyze the image and fact-check it.
Claim: Brigitte Macron was photographed pulling away from Donald Trump as he tried to kiss her
The viral photo appears to show Donald Trump leaning into Brigitte Macron for a kiss on the cheek while she places a hand between them and pulls away, with an expression of discomfort and repulsion on her face, as Emmanuel Macron stands beside them. The image seemingly captures a moment during Trump's visit to the Palace of Versailles.
The photo has triggered both mockery and criticism against the president, indicating that many believe it to be real, while a few others questioned its authenticity and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: The image is AI-generated, and no such event occurred
The image, however, is fake and is generated using artificial intelligence. An analysis of the photo using AI detection software such as Hive Moderation and Zero GPT suggested that it was likely generated using AI.
Moreover, Trump’s visit to Versailles for dinner with the French president and his wife on June 17 was covered by multiple media outlets.
The moment when Trump approached Brigitte for "la bise," a traditional French greeting consisting of two or three kisses on the cheeks, was recorded on video, but it did not show her pulling away or expressing any dissatisfaction.
Donald Trump says Emmanuel Macron convinced him to attend dinner
Speaking to Marc Caputo on 'The Axios Show', Trump recounted Macron's invitation to an event held at Versailles and admitted that the French leader knew exactly what would get him to change his plans.
While discussing the summit, Trump explained that he had not initially planned to attend the gathering but ultimately changed his mind after Macron extended a personal invitation tied to one of France's most famous historical landmarks.
"I can't say. I will tell you, though, that these couple of days were interesting," the POTUS said before launching into a story about Macron's invitation.
"And he invited me about a week before. He said, 'Would you do me a favor? Would you come to Paris? We'd like to honor you.' I view it as honoring the nation. But he said, I'd like to honor you," Trump recalled.
