NEW YORK — Emmanuel Macron found himself at the mercy of New York traffic on Monday evening, after his car was held up by the motorcade of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
The French president had just left the United Nations, where he had addressed the General Assembly and formally recognised the State of Palestine. But as his convoy turned onto First Avenue, it ran straight into Mr Trump’s security lockdown.
A police officer, standing in the middle of the gridlocked street, broke the news. “I’m sorry, Mr President, everything is blocked right now,” he told him, according to people who witnessed the exchange.
Rather than fume, Mr Macron picked up his phone. He called Mr Trump, who had spoken earlier in the day at the UN meeting. “Guess what? I’m stuck in the street because everything’s blocked for you,” Mr Macron told him, half-joking.
The standoff lasted several minutes. Traffic moved again only when the street was opened to pedestrians, forcing Mr Macron to continue on foot to the French Embassy, surrounded by aides and security.
The unusual moment quickly spread online, with video clips showing the French leader walking down the middle of a Manhattan avenue, phone pressed to his ear. Social media lit up with commentary. “Trump blocking traffic like it’s still his White House driveway,” one user quipped. Another imagined the policeman’s nerves: “Imagine the stress.”
Some observers saw humour in the spectacle, others frustration at what they called “protocol chaos” during a week when New York braces for dozens of heads of state at once.
Neither the Élysée Palace nor Mr Trump’s team commented further on the incident. But for a few minutes, at least, one of Europe’s most powerful leaders was just another pedestrian, caught in the city’s notorious jams.
About the Author
