President Donald Trump's 'death clasp' handshake became a talking point once again this week after an awkward encounter with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Dr Claudia Diez, a professor of psychology in New York, told DailyMail.com that someone with such a 'predatory' handshake does so to show power and control. 

She explains: 'The predator signals he is in control by determining distance of the arm (bring in, push forward) and length of the shake, which the pray cannot consent nor exert control off.'

As Trump greeted Macron outside the West Wing of the White House on Monday, his handshake continued, with Macron seemingly trying to pull away before awkwardly relinquishing control. 

The receiver of the handshake, Macron - who Dr Diez refers to as the 'prey' - took a 'seemingly joyful yet non-offensive freeze response'. 

New York-based body language expert Tonya Reiman told this website that she calls the handshake that she saw on Monday the 'Trump Pump,' where Trump 'grips tight, shakes forcefully and pull someone towards him is done in an attempt to take an individual off guard and allow Trump to have the upper hand'. 

Like Dr Diez, she says 'the purpose is to assert dominance and power quickly through a physical gesture'. For those who encounter the Trump Dump, Ms Reiman has some tips for navigating it successfully without being rude.

She says this can be done by 'using subtle body language cues to reclaim your space while maintaining professionalism and respect'. 

First up, she says it is important to 'neutralize the dominance by slightly stepping to the left so the power player has to adjust his or her body'. 

Next, she recommends adjusting your palm subtly and 'turning the grip back into a vertical position' while you are shaking to even out the power dynamic. 

Finally, if necessary, she suggests matching their grip without being too aggressive. 

And if an individual attempts to pull you in towards them, Ms Reiman advises 'bracing your elbows against your body to keep physical leverage'.