Emmanuel Macron announced his arrival on the world stage last May by grabbing hold of Donald Trump and not letting go. France's youngest-ever president had been in office for 11 days when they met at a NATO summit in Brussels. Trump is known for trying to dominate fellow politicians with an aggressive grip, but Macron turned the tables on him, seizing his hand and holding tight even as Trump tried to pull away. Macron then gave his remarks in French, even though he's fluent in English. Trump, with no translation earpiece, nodded along earnestly. The point was plain: Macron was not going to be dominated.His strategy seems to have worked. A senior official in the Elysee presidential palace says Macron and Trump have established a strong relationship. U.S. administration officials say the French president has become an influential voice for Trump on Iran, Syria, and trade. Despite their clear differences in character, both are political outsiders who have little patience for diplomatic niceties, the French official says. That allows them to get down to business, even when they disagree.
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