By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following his UN speech advocating for the recognition of Palestine, French President Emmanuel Macron found himself unexpectedly delayed in New York. Video footage captured Macron’s conversation with police as his motorcade was halted for the arrival of Donald Trump’s motorcade. Unable to proceed, Macron, appearing to be on the phone with Trump, was eventually permitted to walk to the French consulate, reportedly covering a 30-minute distance on foot. During his walk, Macron interacted with passersby, highlighting the unusual circumstances following his address.
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Macron forced to walk to UN due to blockade, and the whole situation is a fascinating mix of political theater and potential blunders. You have this image of the French president, a head of state, having to hoof it through the streets of New York City to get to the UN. Think about it: a world leader, a man of significant power and influence, reduced to navigating the city on foot. That’s certainly not the usual way things are done.
Now, the immediate question that pops up is, why? Was this a genuine logistical nightmare, a case of the Trump administration utterly dropping the ball in planning Macron’s route? Or was it something more deliberate, a calculated move intended to send a message? There are those who lean on Hanlon’s Razor – the idea that you should never assume malice when incompetence is a perfectly adequate explanation. And let’s be honest, the Trump administration was known for its fair share of both.
The possibilities are entertaining to ponder. Was the route planning simply abysmal, leading to the blockade? Or was this a subtle power play, a way of showing who’s truly in charge? Given the track record, it’s almost a coin flip. The more cynical among us might see it as a calculated move, a way to subtly undermine the visiting dignitary. Others, the optimists, might chalk it up to incompetence. Either way, the optics are interesting.
The reports say Macron took the whole thing in stride, strolling for around thirty minutes with his security detail. He even stopped to chat with passersby, posing for photos. One man even kissed him on the forehead! It’s hard to imagine the same reaction if that were Trump. Can you picture the uproar? The political outrage would be astronomical. It’s a telling contrast. It also makes you wonder how Macron has Trump saved in his phone. The possibilities are endless.
This whole situation is, frankly, a major international fumble. It’s a failure in basic diplomatic protocol. Blocking a head of state like that is, to put it mildly, ridiculous. It’s hard to imagine the same thing happening to someone like Putin; the logistics would have been flawless, the security airtight.
And yet, Macron seized the opportunity. He used the situation to his advantage from a public relations perspective. He came off looking calm, collected, and very much in control. The whole episode humanized him in a way. It made him relatable. It showcased his ease and comfort with the public. He was able to make the best of a somewhat humiliating situation. In a nutshell, the situation made Macron look good.
It does beg the question: was it malice or stupidity? Perhaps a combination of both, a situation where incompetence was combined with a passive-aggressive desire to exert control. I think most agree that it’s a lot more fun to assume it was the former, a carefully orchestrated plan, even if it wasn’t. Whatever the case, this is a moment that sticks in your memory.
If anything, this situation is a testament to New York’s safety. If the French President could casually walk around New York with his security detail and actually be safe. It’s a stark contrast to the rhetoric that often surrounds the city. Plus, it highlights how utterly unfit Trump is for leadership.
This situation might be viewed as a “nothingburger,” as some call it, or as a slight inconvenience that just so happened to occur due to timing or location. However, the situation also lends to the discussion of how Macron reacted and showed himself to be a good and reasonable leader. It’s interesting, too, how much of a reaction this situation is eliciting. Maybe the whole thing just boils down to people being annoyed by a blocked street.
The fact that someone can wander around Midtown Manhattan for half an hour speaks volumes about the city’s safety. Of course, there’s a security detail involved, but still. Traffic in midtown is a nightmare, especially during events.
In the end, the image of Macron walking to the UN is a strong one. It speaks to the situation’s absurdity, to the potential for both incompetence and malice, and to the ability of a leader to turn a less-than-ideal situation into a moment of connection and goodwill. And let’s be honest, the whole thing is a little bit amusing, especially in the context of the personalities involved.