'Fragile' Trump's signs of exhaustion as campaign weakens his alpha male facade
Donald Trump 's alpha male facade seems to be fading, a body language expert has revealed, as the events of the last several months take their toll on the former president.
Trump's ability to hide his exhaustion, both physically and mentally, seems to be deteriorating as the November presidential elections draw ever closer and several of the businessman's pending lawsuits come to a head.
"Like Putin, Trump's leadership 'charisma' and power style come from creating a strong alpha presence," body language expert Judi James told The Mirror US. "This means giving an impression of physical dominance and emotional strength, which is why Trump's signature power handshakes where he implies physical superiority over other leaders during their greeting rituals and his trait of adopting a splayed chest when standing, plus 'man-splayed' knees when sitting, plus his vocal growl as he tells Biden, 'You're fired, get outta here!' are vital role-playing for him when it comes to getting back into the White House."
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Former president Donald Trump appeared tired and beaten down during a campaign rally on February 17 in Michigan, a body language expert said (AP)She added that "no alpha male will show weakness or pain, as it would lead to an attack from other animals trying to take over the leadership role." And yet, Trump's perfect, powerful, domineering persona seems to have crumbled, as evidenced by a photo taken on February 17 that shows his shoulders hunched, his hair out of place and an exasperated look on his face as he attends a campaign event in Waterford Township, Michigan, just northwest of Detroit.
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The event was held amid the then-upcoming Michigan primaries, which took place on February 27 and saw Trump defeat Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and Trump's own former UN ambassador, in a landslide victory of over 40 points.
Of the picture, James said: "But Trump is also now a man in his late 70s, and the campaign trail can drain much younger candidates. He is also dealing with the pressure of his indictments and court cases, which means that, despite his posturing and his power-play plus his mocking of the older Biden [who is 81 to Trump's 77], there are still moments when he has looked more drained and signs of what look like exhaustion have started to show."
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Over the years, Trump has become worn by his legal woes and other obligations like campaigning and family matters, James revealed, comparing this photo from November 2022 to more recent ones (AFP via Getty Images)James continued: "These moments might be rare, and he will usually come back looking stronger and more energised as a result, as he has done during subsequent stage appearances, but they are still telling."
The February 17 appearance made Trump "look perhaps more fragile than ever before," James said as she noted that he appears to be "turtling," or "disappearing into his clothes and trying to hide." That doesn't sound at all like the Trump he has tried to portray himself as — the alpha male, all-powerful leader poised for another term in the White House.
James added: "His baseball cap was pulled over his head so the brim part hid his face; he wore a huge overcoat and a pair of black leather gloves that hid his hands from view and limited his usually emphatic gesticulation. His face looks pale and drawn, with signs of tiredness here, and his head is slightly sunken into his shoulders."
The former president appeared "uncharacteristically unkempt," she noted, with his hair "flattened and ruffled" by the ball cap and his tie "slewed to one side." James concluded: "The alpha splaying looks absent here as he leans forward with a frown."
One of the more recent indications of Trump's failing 'alpha male' composure came in late January amid his defamation suit that saw E. Jean Carroll awarded $83 million (AFP via Getty Images)Looking back at some of Trump's other appearances over the past couple of years and comparing them to one from 2018 paints the picture of Trump's deterioration.
On January 22, Trump was pictured outside a federal courthouse in Manhattan in the midst of the high-stakes defamation suit filed by columnist, author and activist E. Jean Carroll, who would shortly thereafter be awarded $83 million (£65.5 million). He is seen with his fist raised but with a drooping lower lip that James notes is a sin of distraction or exhaustion.
"Trump looks in a defiant mood here, but his body language signals are less convincing than that raised fist of battle might suggest," she said. "His face looks more orange than usual, and his lower lip is drooped. His fingers are curled so tight that his knuckles are white, but the fist is kept low, and his eye expression lacks the usual piercing focus."
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At the funeral of Amalija Knavs, Trump's mother-in-law, which was held on January 18, the former president appears somber and lets his son Barron comfort him (AFP via Getty Images)A couple of photos taken during the funeral of Amalija Knavs, Melania Trump's mother and Trump's mother-in-law, show a "genuinely deflated" image of the businessman as he's flocked by family, including his son Barron.
"His posture seems telling of both low energy and sadness," James noted. "As he walks away, his arms hang in front of his torso, implying that sense of inner exhaustion. And in an unusual gestural ritual, we can see his son Barron extend one arm towards his dad as though sensing that he is in need of support and emotional backup."
She added that "this can be a response to any moments when the adrenalin of fighting his court cases and fighting for the White House dips for a moment while real life and family take over."
Trump may have also appeared dejected and somber as he internally dealt with his campaign and the other legal actions against him, James said (AFP via Getty Images)On October 4, 2023, during the height of Trump's civil fraud trial based in Manhattan that saw him and his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, accused of grossly inflating the former president's net worth so that he and his Trump Organization could garner better business deals and loans on New York real estate, the businessman was pictured sitting in court, an angry expression distorting his face.
Unlike some of the images snapped of him in later months, like those from the funeral and the one from his rally on February 17, the courtroom picture from October 2023 shows "pure alpha 'threat' in the face of attack," James said. "With his shoulders hunched, he applied a stern, baleful stare as he sat in the courtroom, and his subsequent mugshot shot [from Trump's arrest in the historic Georgia indictment in August that year] was an exaggerated version of the same, appearing to be intended to chill the blood of his accusers and judges."
On October 4, 2023, Trump appeared defiant in court, but the signs of his exhaustion were just beginning to show (AFP via Getty Images)Nearly a year earlier, on November 15, 2022, Trump was pictured at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida — which has since become the epicentre of one of his four major criminal indictments as the businessman stands accused of illegally storing classified documents in the residence, including in the bathtub — with his wife, Melania, when he announced his official bid for the Oval Office in 2024.
The pictures show a confident Trump James described as "triumphant and successful." She said: "This shows Trump's body language sweet spot. ... Trump could be enjoying feelings of omnipotence here, throwing a pointed finger out to register his adoring audience."
When Trump announced his run for a second term in the White House in November 2022, he was incredibly confident, his composure mostly in tact as he presented as an 'alpha male' (Getty Images)Another image, shot on June 27, 2018, when Trump still held control of the White House and when he was at the peak of his tenure, shows the former president balling his fists as if he were about to throw punches, his face scrunched in a silly, mocking expression. It's more confident even than the pictures from 2022, right before the whirlwind of legal battles and campaign events rocked his world. It's almost as if, even in late 2022, Trump knew what awaited him.
Of the 2018 picture, James said: "Trump's pugilistic gesticulation here shows a total desire for the fight that his pose is suggesting is a physical one. With his fists held up and an expression of mock aggression on his face, he seems to signal that he can take on the world at this point in time."
Back in 2018, at the peak of his presidency, Trump appeared confident and ready to 'take on the whole world,' James said (AFP via Getty Images)All that confidence would fade away, however, as the confident, jovial former president transformed into the worn, exhausted and scared politician pictured just a couple of weeks ago on the campaign trail — with four indictments involving 91 felony charges, several other, more minor court cases, a presidential campaign intent on crushing down Republican rival Nikki Haley and incumbent President and Democrat Joe Biden and family issues to boot, including what appears to be a lack of support from Melania, who is rumored to be distancing herself from Trump as she protects her son, Barron, who is just 17, from the onslaught of controversies her husband has become and has always been embroiled in.
That's a lot to handle for anyone, but, as James emphasised, Trump is in his late 70s, making his age a factor as well. Time will tell whether he'll be able to persevere through the hardships or if all of the factors combined will prove to be the incredibly controversial figure's ultimate downfall.
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