A body language expert has analyzed the nonverbal cues displayed by Donald Trump when he arrived for a church service prior to his presidential inauguration.
Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, the incoming first lady, made his way to St. John’s Church, known as the ‘Church of the Presidents.’ This event comes as he prepares to assume the role of the 47th President of the United States on January 20.
Having previously been elected to the Oval Office in 2016, Trump is set to retake the position after the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol building.
The church service, a customary event for presidents-elect before the inauguration, signifies the conclusion of Joe Biden’s term. The outgoing president expressed kind words for his successor during a meeting at the White House.
Observing Trump’s entrance at the church, body language expert Judi James commented that “Trump didn’t just show up; he arrived.”
In an interview with Paddy Power, James remarked: “Gone was the peacocking and showboating of old – this was alpha mode at full throttle. The chest? Inflated and splayed like a cockerel in a power pose. The spine? Upright enough to make a Buckingham Palace guard jealous. The expression? A lip-clamp and raised jaw combo that screamed, ‘I’m in charge. Again.’”
This transformation was intentional. Known for drawing inspiration from figures like Rocky and Braveheart, Trump appeared poised to overshadow them all. “This wasn’t just Trump the showman – this was Trump the heavyweight,” James added.
James continued by suggesting that Trump was conveying a specific message through his entrance: “As he stepped out of the car, he stood to attention, shoulders squared, head rotating like he was scanning for doubters. Then, with a single, low-raised fist, he delivered a quiet yet commanding gesture of triumph – a silent statement that said, ‘Try stopping me now.’”
Following the service, Trump and Melania proceeded to the White House, where they were received by Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, before heading to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
Former presidents like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama attended the event, alongside some of Trump’s appointees, including Elon Musk.
After a brief outage on January 19, TikTok returned with a message: “Welcome back! Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US!”
Trump is expected to sign an executive order delaying the ban, stating he aims to “make a deal to protect our national security.”
At a rally in Madison Square Garden during his campaign, Trump declared: “On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out,” and vowed to rescue towns from criminals, “then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible.”
Reports from AP suggest Trump plans to issue over 100 executive orders on his first day. His allies have reportedly prepared documents for swift action on issues like deportation, school policies, and vaccine mandates without congressional input.
“There will be a substantial number,” stated Senator John Hoeven, R-N.D.
Trump also promised to release remaining records on the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and Martin Luther King Jr. in a bid for government transparency.
“And in the coming days, we are going to make public remaining records relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
In a controversial move, Trump posted on Truth Social about acquiring Greenland: “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
He continued, “Greenland is an incredible place. The people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election led to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, resulting in arrests of several supporters.
In a TIME interview, Trump said examining the cases of the rioters would be addressed “in the first nine minutes” of his presidency.
On social media, Trump indicated he might pardon many of the rioters but not all, acknowledging that some “probably they got out of control.”
Trump also expressed a desire to end birthright citizenship, considering it a constitutional challenge, but aims to do so by executive order.
During a speech in Iowa, Trump announced plans to save the country from destruction, pledging to cut federal funding for schools promoting certain ideologies.
“On day one, I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity,” he stated, per NPR.
Trump also criticized the Green New Deal, calling it the “Green New Scam,” and promised to terminate it to address inflation.
Despite his strict immigration stance, Trump supports green cards for non-citizens graduating from U.S. colleges, stating they should be allowed to stay in the country.
In a podcast episode, Trump said: “Anybody graduates from a college, you go in there for two years or four years, if you graduate, or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country.”
Trump plans to abolish the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate but mentioned to Joe Rogan it might take “maybe two days, because it’s a little bit busy.”
Facing federal cases related to the 2020 election, Trump indicated he would dismiss special counsel Jack Smith quickly.
Speaking on October 24, Trump told the Hugh Hewitt show he would fire Smith “within two seconds,” making it one of his priorities.