One thing I do believe is that whatever Mr. & Mrs. Trump said or did they did it in full knowledge of what they were doing, i.e. they DECIDED not to do the head bow, probably because it’s against our protocol for our head of state to bow. When he’s met her before I’m sure he’s bowed fully.
My opinion is that the handshake item was Trump acting as president of a powerful and independent country. I don’t know if he would have bowed to her as an individual previous to his inauguration. I vaguely think I read he hadn’t met her. The question could only be answered if we knew whether he met some other ruler of a country and how he interacted with them. Hard to imagine she gets more deference than the Queen of Wherever.
But, one more time, I’m behind Trump Baggie’s 188 percent. I trust he makes a well-reasoned judgment of how he follows through on protocol. And I believe he’s a gentleman. The post above about his WANTING to help her down the stairs rang so true to me.
Anything else, to me, is just accidental and peevishness on DM’s part. Personally, I think she was lucky to meet someone who is both all male AND a gentleman to boot.