US President Donald Trump and visiting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar greeted each other in the traditional Indian way of ‘namaste’ at the White House here on Thursday, which they said was necessary in the current times of coronavirus.

Trump and Varadkar, who is of Indian-origin, joined their palms in the ‘namaste’ pose when reporters asked them in the Oval Office as to how they greeted each other.

When another reporter asked if they shook hands, Varadkar joined his hands in the ‘namaste’ pose, showing the reporters how he greeted the president. Trump too joined in with the ‘namaste’ pose.

“I just got back from India. And I did not shake any hands there. And it’s very easy, because they go like this,” Trump said as he showed reporters the ‘namaste’ pose for the second time in quick succession.

Trump also showed the Japanese way of greeting the bowing of head. “They were ahead of the curve,” he remarked, even as he said bowing and ‘namaste’ gave him a strange feeling.

“I have never been a big hand-shaker, you probably heard. But once you become a politician, shaking hands is very normal. It’s a very strange feeling when people walk up and say ‘hi’,” he said.