Body language expert reveals signs of rift as Trump subtly humiliates Elon Musk in Oval Office farewell
WASHINGTON, DC: Tech billionaire Elon Musk's public break from President Donald Trump shocked everyone, and people are still trying to figure out the current status of their once-thriving bromance.
Body language expert Judi James analyzed the White House meeting between the POTUS and Musk on Friday, May 30, and informed Daily Mail that the encounter revealed their passions for one another have notably cooled.
Body Language expert reveals telltale signs of rift between Trump and Musk
During Friday's meeting, both Trump and Musk sparred with reporters and posed for the cameras in the Oval Office for more than an hour. It happened two days after Musk criticized a Trump-backed spending bill that was recently approved by the House, per the outlet.
James noted that Trump seemed crouched behind the Resolute Desk "in full alpha mode", while the multi-billionaire was seen "standing to the president's right for nearly a full hour".
The body language expert said that the arrangement had the effect of making Musk look like a "schoolboy called to the head's office for fighting in the playground."
She added that Musk's demeanor suggested he wasn't comfortable in that role.
James told the outlet, "Standing with his legs and chest splayed, his arms held tight to his sides and performing the kind of neck rolls a boxer does after entering the ring, Musk looked like a man in a state of aggressive arousal."
"'He seemed to be signaling that his personal power would undergo a rapid and emphatic re-boot now that he was no longer in Trump's employ," she added.
Judi James says Musk seemed to be under great strain
The body language expert revealed that Musk also seemed to be under great strain.
James said that at one point, the Tesla CEO pulled off his baseball cap to wipe his hand over his forehead and then his mouth, and it was "a very emphatic gesture of inner tension."
Before the Friday meeting, the New York Times published a report alleging that the tech billionaire took a cocktail of drugs, such as ketamine, Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, and Adderall, during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Musk was asked about the allegations on Friday and he tried to copy Trump's aggressive behavior toward the media.
However, James noted that Trump's response to his flattering mimicry was dismissive, and it "only received a wry smile from the president."
Trump read from his prepared remarks and called Musk "one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced."
While the POTUS spoke, Musk was engaged, nodded in agreement, and edged closer to Trump's chair.
However, James pointed out that Trump relied on a script to praise Musk - "which diluted any sense of emotion or coming from the heart."
Trump later presented Musk with a ceremonial gold key to the White House, which seemed to please the SpaceX CEO, but the president quickly downplayed the gesture, James said, as he presented the gift from a seated position and then informed the press that he had given out other similar keys before.
Talking about their messages, James said, "Musk repeated the phrase 'I will be a friend and advisor to the president' several times' but Trump's response looked non-committal, keeping his eyes down and holding a poker face expression."
"Musk repeated three times the 'friend and advisor' line, and each time there was a relatively deadpan response from Trump," the body language expert said.
