Body Language Expert Tells Us Trump's Demeanor Does The Talking For Him

Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial started on rocky terms. On day one, Trump was angry to learn that he may not be able to attend his youngest son's graduation. Then, the former president's legal team spent much of day two working overtime to prove that many of the selected jurors were too biased against him to give Trump a fair deal. "Whether a juror likes what President Trump says is part of this case. Why take a chance?" argued one of his lawyers (via NBC News). Likewise, Trump's exhausted appearance, defined by deep, pink eye bags that clashed against his signature spray tan, during the first couple of days, has also been the source of snarky jokes and speculation on social media.

To better understand Trump's grumpy demeanor, Nicki Swift reached out to body language expert Traci Brown, CSP, who exclusively broke down some of his most telling physical cues. Although, as Brown acknowledged, "Body language doesn't necessarily tell when someone is tired from a scientific perspective," she noted, "He's looking down with shoulders slumped — that's showing his mind is going into negativity." Brown also pointed to the controversial politician's sulky pout, observing, "He tightens his lips and pulls them in over his teeth a bit. That shows stress and holding back emotion." Moreover, "We see his trademark anger show in his eyebrows. He was more relaxed in his forehead before that." 

Although body language expert Traci Brown quickly clarified that her opinion on Donald Trump is just that, an opinion, it's entirely possible that the former president is just as tired as he looks. As Brown asserted, "Anyone in his position would be." The evidence seems to speak for itself since, according to multiple outlets, Trump nodded off during the first day of his trial. Maggie Haberman of The New York Times was present and recounted in her write-up how Trump rested his head on his chest and slept for several minutes before rousing. 

Fellow NYT reporter Susanne Craig shared her own account of Trump's courtroom nap on MSNBC. "He looked like he was nodding off and at one point in a pretty true tell that he was falling asleep, his head nodded down and then he sort of jolted back up at one point," she recalled (via CNN). Dr. Chris Winter, a neurologist and sleep expert who spoke with the Daily Beast, suggested that the controversial politician may not be getting enough rest during the trial, explaining, "Anytime we fall asleep in a stressful situation, those are indications that your brain is prioritizing it." 

He added, "Someone who is able to fall asleep in jury selection is really someone who is at great risk and not an excellent sleeper." The sleep expert wasn't shocked by Trump's in-court snooze session, though. Much like Brown, he recognized that anybody in his position would find it hard to rest properly at night.