Donald Trump gave a shy curtsy as he was awarded a medal by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Saturday, sending his savage Twitter critics in to overdrive.
The president is in Riyadh for the first day of his inaugural overseas trip and how he greets his royal hosts has been a source of entertainment and debate.
After earlier shaking King Salman’s hand, Trump lost his towering figure when it came to accepting the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud, the country’s highest civilian honor which has been bestowed on presidents before him, at the Royal Court.
Instead of bowing, he gave an ever-so-slight bend of the knees once the ornate medallion was round his neck. Whether it was a deliberate curtsy or not is already being disputed but whatever Trump’s intention, it has sparked wild back-and-forth between his critics and fans.
Two simultaneous strains of ridicule emerged from his naysayers. One focused on his poor grasp of etiquette and the begged the more serious question of whether the curtsy was a sign of his willingness to bow down to deep-pocketed Arabs during his first trip overseas as president.
Trump’s supporters insisted that the gesture was made so that the older, shorter King would not have to strain himself when placing the medal around his neck.
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