Donald Trump seems to have "lost his swagger" at his latest Bronx rally , coming across as a " man weakening under constant pressure " yet simultaneously "feeding off the support" from his audience, according to a body language expert.
The ex-president hit the campaign trail on Thursday in one of the most staunchly Democratic areas in the country. He staged a rally in the South Bronx in an effort to appeal to minority voters just days before a Manhattan jury is set to determine his fate regarding felony charges in his criminal hush money trial.
Body language guru Judi James spoke to the Mirror about Trump's demeanor, suggesting what it might reveal. She observed: "He's lost some of his usual swagger and alpha splaying here and his face looks thinner and more drawn, plus his shoulders are slumped, suggesting masked tiredness."
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James continued, noting the transformation in Trump's expression: "The smile is still there though and he has transformed his smug, show-boating grin into something more suggestive of warmth and gratitude. The lips are still closed and stretched horizontally but he has pulled them up his face to create a pouching look to the chin, which is often seen as an acknowledgment of hard times while also showing a stoic intention to go on and just get through them."
Trump, in his speech, positioned himself as a superior choice for Black and Hispanic voters compared to President Joe Biden, slamming Biden on immigration, a cornerstone issue of his campaign. He argued that "the biggest negative impact" of the surge of migrants in New York is "against our Black population and our Hispanic population who are losing their jobs, losing their housing, losing everything they can lose."
James also weighed in on Trump's efforts to resonate with New Yorkers. She observed: "His other smile here involves a head cock to portray likeability and a puckering of the brows with an asymmetric smile that is pulled up one side of the face. This again suggests mixed emotions, i.e that the pressure might be on but that he's happy to receive the support of his fans at this rally."
With Trump largely confined to New York due to his ongoing trial over the past six weeks, the presumptive Republican nominee's team has organized a string of local engagements across his home turf surrounding his court appearances. His itinerary included a visit to a bodega in Harlem, a stopover at a construction site, and a photo opportunity at a local firehouse where he handed out pizzas.
However, the Bronx rally marked his first public event as he maintains his intent to win a predominantly Democratic state that hasn't supported a Republican for president since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Besides creating a spectacle of rally attendees and protesters, the rally also provided Trump an opportunity to emphasize what he argues are advantages on economic and immigration issues that could impact key Democratic voting demographics.
Despite his numerous legal challenges, Trump remains unyielding. James stated: "The raised fist is the message that the fight is still on with an ongoing scent of victory in his nostrils, but apart from this one iconic intentional gesture there are other aspects of Trump's body language in the Bronx that present him as a grateful martyr, a man weakening under constant pressure but feeding off the support he's getting here.
"It's a very potent look for Trump at this stage in the political and legal circus as it can elicit empathy but without showing signs of defeat. It's a bit of a crowd-surf moment implying they should carry him for a while as he gets back up to full fight again."
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