Body Language Expert Tells Us Trump Made Prince William His Apprentice In Viral Meeting

Donald Trump made Prince William his apprentice during their encounter at Notre Dame Cathedral, which took place on December 7.

According to People, Trump arrived in France to celebrate Notre Dame's re-opening, five years after a tragic fire threatened to topple the historic landmark. Alongside other prominent world leaders — including French President, Emmanuel Macron — Prince William attended the ceremony on behalf of the U.K. However, he also made time to chat with Trump during the main event, in addition to a second meeting that took place offsite. 

Following the festivities, the Kensington Royal account on X, formerly known as Twitter, celebrated the restoration of the iconic landmark. "A wonderful event to celebrate the reopening of the @notredameparis," read the tweet, alongside photos. "It is an immense achievement to renovate such a beautiful and culturally important building. Thank you and well done to everyone who has been a part of this project." It continued, "Also a pleasure to spend time with @EmmanuelMacron and @realDonaldTrump."

Despite William's positive recollection, Traci Brown, CSP, Body Language Expert & Behavior Analyst, provided Nicki Swift with expert commentary after dissecting a video of his encounter with Trump — and she determined that the president-elect was on a bit of a power trip.

It's been years since Donald Trump helmed "The Apprentice," the business-centric reality series where he coined his popular "you're fired" catchphrase, but he tapped into his bossy roots during his meeting with Prince William. According to Traci Brown, one of the top three body language experts in the world, Trump took on a dominant position when he entered the U.K.'s Ambassador's Residence, where Prince William was waiting to embrace him.

The new special relationship? 🇬🇧🇺🇸The Prince of Wales and @realDonaldTrump are currently meeting in Paris. Prince William, representing the King, is the first member of the royal family to meet Trump since his re-election to the @WhiteHouse and has beaten @Keir_Starmer to it. pic.twitter.com/RXL7P9lTcG

— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) December 7, 2024

William stands in a "fig leaf position," which signifies that he was "protecting himself a bit," says Brown. As for the president-elect, Brown observes, "Trump is focused more on the crowd than his host." Once he takes note of the royal, she notes, "He barely gives William a look but stays shaking hands and turns his attention toward the crowd." Brown continues, "Then as William tries to let go and retract his hand, Trump won't let go. This whole sequence is an attempt at showing power by Trump. He has a habit of making handshakes an overt power play and this is another version of it." 

The interaction becomes a little more friendly when Trump "gives the stage to William with his open hand gesture and a quick pat." William, for his part, "rubs his hands together quickly," says Brown, explaining that "this is a sign of positive expectation." He then "goes back to the fig leaf, protecting himself from the crowd," while "Trump doesn't match William preferring to keep his hands at his side. So they're not quite in sync." Trump points his thumb at Prince William, suggesting the meeting is more casual for him than the future king. 

Unsurprisingly, Trump made a similar power move with French President Macron by pulling him into an embrace and sustaining their handshake for several seconds. So he's either missing the boardroom or antsy to re-assert his power in the White House.