Donald Trump's body language has consistently captured public attention, often revealing more about the former president's thoughts and emotions than his words might suggest. His repertoire of disdainful or disgusted facial gestures, including tightly pursed lips and pinched commissures, often emerges in interactions with world leaders such as Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin. These expressions are typically cues that Trump feels unsure or uncomfortable during these engagements.
In addition to facial expressions, Trump's body language includes comforting behaviors such as crossing his arms tightly around himself, which is considered a "self-hug." This behavior contrasts with the expansive gestures typically expected from leaders.
“In pictures in the White House, or when he’s surrounded by people, he crosses his arms very tight around himself, and that is a comforting behaviour. It’s literally a self-hug. And yet when we see him on The Apprentice, he never did that. You normally don’t expect leaders to be self-hugging. You expect them to have expansive behaviours,” – Navarro
A notable aspect of Trump's body language is his infamous 19-second handshake with world leaders, which often ends awkwardly. These handshakes are described as tight and sometimes involve Trump pulling away prematurely, as seen in his interaction with Shinzo Abe. This behavior is often interpreted as an attempt to dominate or establish power in his interactions.
“He immediately reflects with his face exactly what he feels,” – Navarro
“This is not uncommon, Elon Musk does it, Angela Merkel did it – but they tend to put them very high, utterly confident. Here you have the president’s, which is a modified steeple, where he loses its strength by pointing it downward.” – Navarro
Trump's body language differs significantly from other world leaders. He rarely exhibits expansive behaviors and has been observed holding hands with leaders like Theresa May and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These gestures are often seen as affiliative or reassuring.
“do a lot of subtle touching but these gestures tend to be affiliative or reassuring, or seeking reassurance, and you see commonalities here with humans,” – Dr Nicholas Newton-Fisher
In contrast, Trump's arm swing is often likened to Vladimir Putin's expansive and confident gait. Navarro highlights this difference:
“Look at the arm swing on Putin versus the very stoic, demure, arms at the side, head low behaviours of Trump,” – Navarro
This comparison indicates a stark contrast in confidence levels between the two leaders. Trump's head is frequently low, and his arms remain at his sides, portraying a "stoic" and "demure" demeanor. These behaviors embody what some describe as a "New York style" or "Brooklyn or Queens" behavior, reflecting his personality and upbringing.
“I could hardly believe my eyes. It matters. We are primates. We evolved from primates. You don’t have to be told who the leader is. If you’re the silverback, you stand proud, you stand tall, you have the behaviours of confidence. That is nowhere to be seen with Trump.” – Navarro