US President Donald Trump on Friday tweeted a series of photographs of himself with Group of Seven (G7) leaders taken during last weekend's summit in Canada, saying they counter the perception that he didn't get along with the other leaders.
One of the photographs shows him touching Angela Merkel's hand as the two of them smile with other G7 leaders flanking the German chancellor. A similar photo that Merkel shared via Instagram on Sunday shows her with a stern expression leaning on a table as she appears to speak directly to Trump.
In that photo - an image that went viral and triggered a wave of memes - the US president sits with his arms crossed, a defiant look on his face.
The photo was seen as documentation that Trump was alone against the will of other world leaders. But Trump said Friday the photo was misleading.
"I have a great relationship with Angela Merkel of Germany, but the Fake News Media only shows the bad photos (implying anger) of negotiating an agreement," Trump tweeted.
Another photo shows Trump clasping hands with French President Emmanuel Macron, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his other side.
"The Fake News Media said that I did not get along with other Leaders at the #G7Summit in Canada. They are once again, WRONG!" he wrote.
At the end of the contentious summit, Trudeau angered Trump by saying new US tariffs on Canada on national security grounds were "insulting." Trump responded by accusing Trudeau of dishonesty and withdrawing Washington's endorsement of a joint communique.
