This is deliciously funny: Our Dear Leader had to sit down with a female leader, a woman not picked to be near her merely based on her looks or genetic kinship, and he seems to have refused to shake hands with her. It's those girl cooties. They might infect this germophobic leader!
Or it could be that Trump is following the most conservative rules about men not being allowed to shake hands with women in some interpretations of Islam, because sexual desire might then result in wanton behavior!
Just kidding. But here's a picture of the two world leaders: One the new leader of the liberal West*, the other the new leader of pre-fascist West:
I love the body language in the picture. The way Trump tries not to connect with Merkel, the way she is turned to him while he tries to turn away and narrow his body so that there would be no possible contact. And yes, of course the picture might be those weird ones where someone is caught in mid-action and looks nothing like what actually happened.
But then there is this:
The body language was at times awkward. In an earlier photo opportunity in the White House, Mrs Merkel asked him quietly: "Do you want a handshake?" He looked forwards with his hands clasped and did not reply.
-------------
* The term "liberal" is not used here in its common American meaning. Merkel is politically fairly conservative, something like a Blue Dog Democrat in the states.