U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany and shook hands, sending the meme and joke writers into overdrive.
Trump and Putin look like two schoolboys who have just been sent to the principal’s office
Prediction: Tomorrow Trump will tweet that he’s never met Putin.
https://twitter.com/MrBrandonCraker/status/883327968319328256
Trump and Putin meet. Hugs and gifts exchanged. #G20
The two presidents appeared to have a cordial encounter, ahead of their more formal sit down at the meeting of the G20, which is a summit of leaders representing the world’s top economies. Here’s an actual photo of that:
GettyTrump and Putin meet in Hamburg.
This is what Trump said:
According to The New York Times, Trump said, “It’s an honor to be with you,” to which Putin replied, “I’m delighted to meet you.”
Trump and Putin meeting face-to-face for the first time sent the joke writers and editorial cartoonists into a frenzy. Not everyone was negative toward Trump:
@NBCNews @NBCPolitics I love how Trump is showing his dominance. Like he is tapping his dog. Putin = Owned
But a lot of the jokes were critical of the president. Here are some examples posted on Twitter after the July 7 meeting:
Close up of Trump and Putin’s first handshake.
Trump met Putin at the #G20 and it went as expected
Video exclusivo de la reunión de Putin y Trump
“@JenniferJJacobs: TRUMP and PUTIN meeting is in progress.”
https://twitter.com/Khansaab79/status/883327975344791552
The Trump/Putin meeting in Hamburg occurred with questions still swirling about whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in the U.S. The world’s economic leaders were meeting in Germany to discuss thorny issues ranging from climate change to migration. The summit was hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but it was the Putin and Trump historic meeting that was getting the most news attention. Outside, protests surged at the summit.
https://twitter.com/Melissa_In_DC/status/883338493103046656
@BostonGlobe Leaked tape of TrumpPutin meeting shows how Putin keeps @realDonaldTrump in line.
https://twitter.com/aspirantpulkit/status/883338273061445635
Trump tweeted about the anticipated meeting, writing, “I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss.#G20Summit #USA.”
According to The New York Times, Trump also said, “President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it’s going very well. We look forward to a lot of very positive happenings for Russia and for the United States, and for everyone concerned.” It wasn’t yet clear specifically what was discussed, though.
The Times reported that Putin said of Trump: “We spoke over the phone, but phone conversations are never enough, definitely. I hope that, as you have said, our meetings will yield positive results.”
You can see more photos of the Trump/Putin meeting and handshakes here: