President Trump appears to be caught off guard by ASEAN summit's group handshake
Trump and world leaders pose for awkward group handshake.
— -- President Donald Trump, who is known for his trademark, prolonged and at times aggressive, handshakes with world leaders, was momentarily caught off guard executing a different kind of handshake, at an international summit in the Philippines on Monday.
![PHOTO: From left, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President Donald Trump, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the ASEAN Summit, Nov. 13, 2017 in Manila.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-asia-asean-handshake-2-ap-jt-171113_hpEmbed.jpg)
Trump was in Manila attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which began with an opening ceremony and photo op of attending world leaders. The heads of state were invited on stage to participate in the conference's traditional ASEAN group handshake, in which each leader crosses their arms and joins opposite hands with the leaders next to them.
![PHOTO: President Donald Trump participates in traditional "ASEAN handshake" with other leaders at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines, Nov. 13, 2017.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-asia-asean-handshake-4-rt-jt-171113_hpEmbed_23x15_992.jpg)
Photographs captured Trump as he seemed momentarily confused by the handshake.
![PHOTO: President Donald Trump, center, reacts as he does the "ASEAN-way handshake" with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, left, and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at the ASEAN Summit, Nov. 13, 2017, in Manila, Philippines.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-asia-asean-handshake-5-ap-jt-171113_25x16_992.jpg)
President Trump appeared to be awkwardly hugging himself once he got into the cross-armed, handshake position.
![PHOTO: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President Donald Trump, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the ASEAN Summit, Nov. 13, 2017, in Manila.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-asia-asean-handshake-6-gty-jt-171113_3x2_992.jpg)
After some effort and grimacing, Trump smiled as he successfully executed this traditional handshake.
![PHOTO: President Donald Trump, center, reacts as he does the "ASEAN-way handshake" with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, left, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at the ASEAN Summit, Nov. 13, 2017, in Manila, Philippines.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-asia-asean-handshake-7-jt-171113_19x13_992.jpg)
ABC News’ Jordan Phelps contributed to this report.