King Charles’ Bizarre Handshake with Trump Has Fans Saying the Same Thing: 'He Wasn’t Having It'
A single handshake between Trump and King Charles has sparked huge debate online, with many calling it a subtle royal power move.
King Charles touched down in Washington DC on April 27, 2026, along with Queen Camilla. This four-day U.S. trip marks the first time Charles has visited the country as a monarch. However, the internet has been focusing on something entirely unexpected: a handshake. As Donald Trump closes in to welcome the King at the White House, social media users noticed something.
What caught everyone’s attention was Trump appearing to go in with his usual firm, dominant handshake style, while Charles kept things noticeably more formal and restrained. Social media users quickly picked up on the moment, with many suggesting the King was subtly refusing to play along with Trump’s signature aggressive greeting.
Clips of the exchange quickly went viral on all social media platforms. Some are calling it awkward, and others are framing it as a quiet “royal win.” Political commentator, Adam Schwartz, posted a clip on X and described the moment as Trump attempting his familiar “toxic beta-male” move while Charles simply “wasn’t having it.” Another user on the platform called the handshake a “tug of war” outside the White House, with the King pulling right back. Yet another user commented, "Love how Charles gives Trump’s alpha male handshake short shrift," seemingly proud of the King. And finally, this netizen made sure to direct everyone's attention to his feelings with capital letters: "Trump and Charles doing their LITTLE DOMINANCE HANDSHAKE at the White House South Portico." Watch the video here.
After the now-viral handshake at the South Portico, Charles and Camilla were welcomed inside by Trump and Melania for private tea in the Green Room. It served as their first formal meeting before the group later stepped outside to tour the White House’s expanded beehive on the South Lawn near the Kitchen Garden.
As the evening went on, Charles and Camilla headed to the British Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C., for a garden party hosted by British Ambassador Christian Turner. The event drew around 600 guests from both sides of the Atlantic, bringing together diplomats, political heavyweights, and a few familiar public faces, including Olympian Tom Daley. The guest list also had several senior figures from Trump’s administration, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, White House aide Stephen Miller, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The trip will run from April 27 to 30, and it is packed with a lineup of major events across the U.S. Charles addressing Congress is one of the most significant moments of the trip, as he will be the first British monarch to do so since Queen Elizabeth II. According to a palace source, he is expected to speak for around 20 minutes, focusing on major topics like NATO, the Middle East, and the war in Ukraine.
