A psychotherapist and behavioural expert has analysed President Donald Trump's recent address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, highlighting his deliberate concealment of body language to project authority.
Shelly Dar, a registered mental health therapist with over 15 years of experience, noted that for the first 95 minutes of his speech, Trump remained behind the podium, visible only from the elbows up. 'Both hands are anchored to the podium, his posture is rigid, and when you can't see two-thirds of the body that limits our information,' she said. Dar explained that lower body movement often signals anxiety or agitation, and by staying behind the podium, Trump effectively concealed those signals.
Dar observed that this created a sense of containment and reinforced authority. 'What the audience is seeing is someone who looks immovable rather than someone who is expressive,' she added. However, when Trump eventually moved away from the lectern, his demeanour changed. 'He visibly exhales, his pace loosens and his pitch varies. He defaults to his usual behaviours – boastfulness, anecdotes, scaling things up,' Dar said.
The expert suggested that Trump appears more confident when improvising than when delivering prepared remarks, noting that he dislikes reading from an autocue. 'Overall his communication strategy prioritises dominance over dialogue. He provides certainty over nuance, and his narrative control is built on assertion rather than persuasion,' she explained.
Dar highlighted the contrast between Trump's approach and the collaborative nature of Davos. 'Davos is built on multilateralism, shared norms and collaborative language. So this contrast is deliberate,' she said. 'He isn't shifting himself to match the energy of the room. He's not there to belong in the room. He's there to set the tone of the room.'
