Tue Sep 23 18:46:47 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

French President Emmanuel Macron was briefly delayed in New York City after his speech at the UN General Assembly due to President Trump’s motorcade. Macron, who had just announced France’s recognition of the State of Palestine, was stopped by police. A video shows him joking about the situation in a call to Trump. He eventually walked to the French Embassy. The UN summit also saw several other nations recognizing Palestine, an initiative boycotted by the US and Israel.

**News Article:**

**Macron Briefly Halted by Trump Motorcade After Announcing Palestinian Recognition at UN**

**New York, NY** – French President Emmanuel Macron experienced a brief delay in Manhattan on Monday after US President Donald Trump’s motorcade temporarily froze traffic. The incident occurred shortly after Macron delivered a speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly, where he formally announced France’s recognition of the State of Palestine.

Video footage circulating on social media shows Macron and his team speaking with a police officer explaining the hold-up. “I’m sorry, Mr President… everything is frozen right now. There is a motorcade coming,” the officer is heard saying. Macron then reportedly called President Trump, jokingly remarking, “Guess what, I’m waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you.”

Following the motorcade’s passage, the streets reopened, and Macron walked to the French Embassy, a journey of approximately 30 minutes.

The announcement of France’s recognition of Palestine came during a high-level UN summit co-convened by France and Saudi Arabia, highlighting growing international support for Palestinian statehood and a two-state solution. Leaders from Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco also declared their recognition of Palestine at the summit.

The meeting was boycotted by Israel and the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the initiative, calling it a “gift to Hamas” and restricting Palestinian leaders’ access to the event. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres countered, asserting that “Palestinian statehood is a right and not a reward.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the summit remotely, called for an end to violence and proposed reforms to improve governance and social programs in Palestinian territories.

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