People spot King of the Netherlands' surprising response to Donald Trump handshake at NATO summit

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People spot King of the Netherlands' surprising response to Donald Trump handshake at NATO summit

US President Donald Trump has been staying at King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands' royal palace this week

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has gone viral this week for seemingly showing Donald Trump who's boss.

The United States' President appeared in The Hague earlier this week for the 2025 NATO Summit, where he and 32 other world leaders met to discuss all things politics - including the Iran-Israel war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, taxes and tariffs, economics and international defence.

Following the event, Trump, 79, also squeezed in a visit to the Dutch King and Queen, even having been chosen in a select few to be put up in the country's royal palace for a night or two.

Following his arrival on Tuesday (24 Jun), the Republican was whisked off to Huis Ten Bosch palace, which is tucked away in a forest on the edge of The Hague.

King Willem-Alexander hosted a former dinner with a number of other alliance leaders.

President Trump pictured with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (Brendan Smialowski - Pool/Getty Images)
President Trump pictured with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (Brendan Smialowski - Pool/Getty Images)

The royal lives in the grounds with his Argentine-born wife, Queen Máxima, and their three daughters, The Princess of Orange (Catharina-Amalia), Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane.

Trump's arrival at the festivities were filmed by local camera crews before being shared online.

And as we say, one particularly amusing moment from the powerful get-together quickly spread like wildfire on social media, showing rhe King and the President embarking on a 'handshake tug of war'.

In the clip, Trump - donning a bright blue suit - approaches the royal couple with his arm extended.

King Willem-Alexander then grabs the father-of-five's hand, before drawing his elbow immediately back to his side, causing Trump to have to lean over in his direction.

Whilst many might overlook the pair's meet-up, some eagled-eyed viewers have branded the clip footage of the President and the King's 'handshake tug of war', which it looks as though the Dutchman won.

Commenting on the video on social media, one fan joked: "Long live the King."

Another jibed of Trump's defeat: "DAMMMNNNN @realDonaldTrump slipping."

"That handshake," a third went on. "As soon as Trump is pulled towards the king….he lost."

Trump appeared at the NATO summit earlier this week (Haiyun Jiang-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump appeared at the NATO summit earlier this week (Haiyun Jiang-Pool/Getty Images)

"This always makes me giggle…" admitted another critic, however.

"Donnie noooooo! He got pulled in," one fan of the right-wing leader commented.

Another Trump supporter seemingly attempted to defend the loss, adding: "And Donald Trump allowed him to keep it it's his country his celebration. Very diplomatic of our president."

Sharing a snap of an American flag, another Republican went on: "Do we really wanna play who’s more powerful? There’s no question."

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/@theroyalfamilychannel

Topics: Donald Trump, US News, UK News, Politics, World News