Agata Kornhauser-Duda’s walking past Donald Trump to greet Melania Trump demonstrated that wives of top officials are no longer arm decorations.
By Hannah Webster
When it hits Twitter and gains attention, there is no turning back.
On July 6, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by Polish President Andrzej Duda and wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda. And lucky for us, it was all caught on camera.
Poland’s first lady wasted no time in greeting Melania Trump, walking right past the president as he reached out his hand to her to shake. Now, I know a snub when I see one.
Kornhauser-Duda left the president dumbfounded with his hand reaching out, waiting for hers. The Polish first lady eventually turned around to greet the president, but her initial action was so entertaining to watch.
It was not long until Twitter got its hands on the clip and started to make it viral, whether it was being tweeted or retweeted by news platforms or just personal accounts. If you simply type in “Donald Trump awkward handshake” into Twitter’s search bar, you will find many related tweets popping up.
After seeing the clip of the encounter between the American and Polish counterparts, I was shocked. For the first lady of Poland to walk right over to Melania Trump and make the first move rather than to wait for the president’s introduction was iconic. She showed everyone that she had no problem walking past the president to greet his wife.
Her move was so bold because you often see the first lady standing by her husband, supporting him, and waiting for him to make the first move. Kornhauser-Duda broke down those basic barriers and was like, “Hey, Melania girl, nice to meet you … Oh hello, Donald.”
And although many people may not read into this scenario as much as I am, I found it refreshing for the Polish first lady to make such a bold statement. Kornhauser-Duda showed us that women are not meant to be glued to their husbands’ side, and instead, we should go out there and make the first move.
Kornhauser-Duda made one hell of a move, and sometimes that is what women have to do.
On the other hand, the president’s actions caught my eye as well. The way President Trump introduced himself first to the Dudas and was then going to introduce his wife demonstrated a great deal about his personal manners.
You would think that the initial gentleman-like thing to do would be to introduce his wife first, right? But then, Donald Trump has never been one to embody “gentleman.” Still, this incident is merely an example of his missing manners and the rest of the world’s continued distaste for the man. I dream of the day when the leader of the Free World can manage to perfect the handshake, but for now we must wait and giggle through the innumerable roasting Twitter posts.
