U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron as they attend a working session with G7 leaders and outreach partners on promoting economic growth during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
A physical therapist said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is exhibiting symptoms of someone who recently had a stroke.
During his trip to the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Trump gave a bizarre handshake to French President Emmanuel Macron that caught the eye of Adam James, a licensed physical therapist. James noted that Trump's odd movements suggested that he may have had a recent neurological episode.
James watched a clip of the handshake on a new episode of "The David Pakman Show" on YouTube. The host, David Pakman, noted that Trump's hand was almost vertical when he offered it to Macron at an event, and asked James what the significance of that posture was.
"Normally, he loves to do this power move where he shakes the hand of a dignitary or a person that he's set to meet with, and he holds their hand really tightly, and he refuses to let go," James said, describing Trump's traditional handshake as an "intimidation tactic" that he could pull off with limited movement.
James noted that Trump's vertical handshake required a much more complex series of moves, which revealed how "weak his right shoulder actually is from time to time." He said that the weakness on Trump's right side could also indicate that he's had strokes in the past.
Trump may be able to conceal his medical episodes because of the care he receives at the White House, James added.
"Anytime he would display any symptoms of stroke, he's going to get that intervention as soon as possible," James said. "The White House is basically a hospital step-down unit so he can receive whatever he needs as soon as he possibly could need it.
So, that's what I chalk it up to."