Donald Trump’s body language during a landmark primetime address was something "we’ve rarely seen," according to body language expert Dr Lillian Glass. The US President spoke to Americans nationwide at 2am UK time on July 16, delivering a 26-minute speech from the White House. He alleged China had played a major role in ‘election fraud’ and called on Congress to pass the ‘Save America Act’, which would require photo ID proving voters are American citizens to register to vote.
Uncharacteristic Restraint and Control
Dr Glass, who has 40 years of experience, described Trump’s demeanor as "calm and direct," noting that he "didn't ad lib and go off script as he usually does." She told The Mirror: "We have rarely seen Trump this serious and this contained and controlled. He did not show any over-the-top emotionalism as he does in many of his speeches. This speech was different."
Dr Glass attributed this to the President’s desire to appear "confident" and present what he described as evidence supporting his statements. "From beginning to end, he stood erect behind the podium with excellent posture. His facial expression remained serious throughout the speech. There was virtually no smiling, no joking, no wandering off topic, and none of the improvisation that has become one of his trademarks," she added.
One Moment of Emotional Breakthrough
Despite the overall restraint, Dr Glass identified a single moment when emotion broke through. "Only once did I notice a significant shift," she said. "When discussing opposition to what he called the 'Big Beautiful Bill' [the Save America Act] and election-related issues, his vocal emphasis increased and a bit more emotion came through. Even then, it was not anger. It appeared to be conviction and determination."
The Californian-based expert concluded that "this was one of the most restrained public speeches I have seen President Trump deliver."
Claims of Election Fraud and Intelligence Declassification
During the address, Trump announced he would declassify and release ‘critical intelligence, revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure’. He stated: "This evidence shows that the election system we have dangerously exposes and really exposes like levels never thought possible to hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference. Just as disturbingly, this vital information has for many years been covered up and hidden from you."
Trump claimed that China illicitly gained access to information on US voters. This follows years of claims by Trump and hardline Republicans that his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden was the result of voter fraud. Biden won the election with 306 electoral votes and 51.3% of the national popular vote, while Trump secured 232 electoral votes and 46.8% of the popular vote.
Contradicting Intelligence Reports
The US intelligence community produced a report that concluded there was no foreign interference in the 2020 election. The report, released before Trump's first term ended in January 2021, stated: "We have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process in the 2020 US elections, including voter registration, casting ballots, vote tabulation, or reporting results."
