Women found Trump's body language towards Angela Merkel so painfully familiar
No matter how hard we want it to, 2016's election never seems to fully go away.
For many women who chose to watch President Trump's joint press conference with Angela Merkel on Friday, the experience hit far too close to home. Not only did Trump's body language mirror his movements on the debate stage with Hillary Clinton (when will that memory go away?) it reminded them of their own personal interactions with powerful men who seemed to resent their presence.
If you haven't watched the full conference, please don't. Watch this very brief clip instead, where Chancellor Merkel asks Trump for a handshake, only to have it be rejected. It's not just that Trump refuses to shake her hand. He doesn't even look her in the eye.
Prominent feminists, comedians and women on Twitter struggled to watch this insulting viral moment. It wasn't easy watching one of the most powerful women in the world -- and a prominent American ally -- get ignored, regardless of you think of his actual handshakes.
It's clear that women have been in this position before: sitting or standing there awkwardly, while powerful men refuse to acknowledge their presence.
Remember this sad viral moment?
Election 2016 has *officially* ended, but its awkward body language lives on.
Topics Donald Trump
Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.
