Trump's Body Language at Xi State Dinner Signaled Respect, Not Domination, Expert Says

Former President Donald Trump exhibited a body language that suggested an effort to connect with and show respect to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a White House state dinner, rather than attempting to dominate him, according to body language expert Sean Johns. Johns, founder of the body language training company BodyLytics, analyzed Trump's nonverbal cues during the high-stakes visit.

Johns noted that Trump appeared to "close the distance" and move towards Xi during the arrival ceremony, which he described as atypical behavior for the former president. "Closing the distance between people is trying to kind of like connect," Johns explained. "So you’re closing that gap."

Comparing Trump's interactions with Xi to his more commonly observed aggressive handshakes, Johns stated, "What we’re looking at with this handshake is what was not there… Because Donald Trump is known for the aggressive handshake. He shakes for too long. He kind of grabs you by the arm often. And with President Xi, he didn’t do that."

According to Johns, Trump's approach to the handshake with Xi was "more of a sign of respect." The expert believes Trump "wasn’t trying to dominate, which he usually does," and that the president typically overdoes handshakes and pats on the back depending on his counterpart. Johns observed, "This showed that there was a lot of respect for [Xi]. And it was a very two-sided thing," adding that both leaders "looked quite comfortable around each other… and there was no dominance play from either side."

During the toast, Johns identified moments of "incongruence" between Trump's words and his body language. While Trump offered positive remarks, his body language remained neutral, which Johns repeated on two occasions. "When he said, ‘We’re happily celebrating,’ It didn’t look like he was happy celebrating, it just looked like protocol," the expert noted.

A moment when Trump appeared more genuine was when he deviated from his script to invite guests to tour the White House ballroom under construction. Johns described this as the first instance of a "genuine smile" from Trump, where he "almost came across like a naughty schoolboy."

During the description of the ballroom, Trump's body language became more expressive and aggressive, including a direct finger point, which Johns considers an aggressive gesture. "You’re making a slightly aggressive gesture with a finger point, but you’re saying the ‘beautiful ballroom.’ There’s a disconnect there somewhere… There was a clear message from his body language."

Johns also observed Trump's positive reaction to the bald eagle statue gifted to Xi. Trump took "two awkward steps" towards the statue, which Johns interpreted as a gesture to close distance, indicating approval. "It’s showing approval towards it almost. You get close to things you like," he said, adding that Trump then directed Xi's attention to the gift, signaling, "Look at the wonderful statue that we gave you."

Johns' primary conclusion was the "lack of physical, non-verbal aggression" displayed by Trump throughout the dinner, which the expert stated Trump "usually shows certain people." He suggested this indicated the seriousness with which Trump approached the meeting and the importance of his guest, particularly concerning economic matters. "So he took that very seriously, aside from the odd joke or two."