A body language specialist has dissected the three specific and what they term "unethical" tactics former President Donald Trump employs to project authority and control during his public engagements. The analysis comes as Tuesday, January 20, 2026, marks one year since Trump returned to the White House for his historic second, non-consecutive term, having been re-elected in November 2024.
The Ultimate Power Pose Combination
The first identified tactic is a commanding seated posture. The expert, citing communications specialist Vanessa Van Edwards, notes that Trump does not sit conventionally. Instead, he adopts a wide-legged stance that maximises the physical space he occupies, coupled with a "reverse steeple" gesture with his hands. This non-verbal combination is interpreted as his brain's method of broadcasting a message of ownership and supreme confidence to everyone in the vicinity.
Spatial Control Through Handshakes
The second strategy revolves around the simple handshake, transformed into a tool for domination. According to the analysis, Trump has mastered spatial control during these greetings. He is known to pull individuals towards him, deliberately violating typical personal space boundaries, and prolonging the handshake beyond customary duration. Crucially, he frequently manoeuvres to place his hand on top—a classic, if immature, vertical display of power that sets the tone for the interaction before a word is spoken.
The Signature 'Power Pout'
The third and perhaps most distinctive technique is labelled "the power pout". When confronted with disagreeable information, Trump is observed pursing his lips forward in a pronounced manner. This non-verbal signal broadcasts disapproval and rejection instantly, allowing him to communicate his stance without uttering a word. The expert suggests this acts as a potent power play, subtly undermining a speaker in front of an audience. However, Van Edwards also posits that this pout could be a form of "stress leakage", where the body involuntarily betrays inner tension or discomfort—a nervous tell unique to the former President.
The breakdown was shared in a detailed TikTok video by an analyst known as Do More Stuff, who emphasised that these psychological hacks are "hidden in plain sight" during Trump's appearances. While these behaviours are framed as calculated power moves designed to mug those around him, the alternative interpretation points to them being unconscious displays of underlying stress. Either way, the expert concludes that once you recognise these three tactics, they become impossible to ignore.
