After Macron, Erdogan too held up by Trump’s New York motorcade | Watch

World leaders navigating the tight security and gridlocked streets of New York during the UN General Assembly found themselves caught in awkward traffic snags on Tuesday. French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were both briefly stopped by police as US President Donald Trump’s motorcade rolled through Manhattan.

Macron’s call to Trump

Macron was prevented from crossing a barricaded street near his diplomatic mission. Rather than wait, the French leader phoned Trump directly, joking: “Guess what, I’m waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you.” Video of the moment went viral, showing police apologizing but refusing to let him pass until Trump’s motorcade cleared.

Macron then set off on foot, walking nearly half an hour through Manhattan, trailed by curious New Yorkers asking for selfies. One admirer even planted a kiss on his head as he laughed off the situation.

Erdoğan stopped next

Later, Erdoğan’s delegation was similarly halted at a New York crosswalk, leaving the Turkish president waiting as police enforced another closure for Trump’s passage.

Symbolic tensions

The lighthearted street-level inconveniences played out against a backdrop of sharper disagreements. Macron had just announced France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood, a move Trump blasted as a “reward for Hamas.” The two leaders exchanged barbs over Gaza, even as Trump praised Macron’s role on Ukraine and called him a “friend for a long time.”

Diplomacy and traffic jams

The incidents highlight both the intense security surrounding the annual UN gathering and the unpredictable moments it can produce. Even amid debates on war and peace, the spectacle of world leaders stranded at New York intersections offered a rare reminder that motorcades — and traffic — wait for no one.