Body language expert says Trump appears ‘low on energy', defensive on health after death rumors

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump made his first appearance from the Oval Office on Tuesday, September 2, since death rumors circulated online, and a body language expert claimed that the POTUS appeared “low on energy” and defensive.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked Trump whether he had seen reports that he had died, and the POTUS replied, “No,” indicating he had not seen the discourse.

Body language expert says things still seem out of the ordinary for Trump

Trump said during the presser, "I had heard, it’s sort of crazy. But last week I did numerous news conferences. All successful, they went very well, like this is going very well and then I didn’t do any for two days and they said, ‘there must be something wrong with him.’"

"Biden wouldn’t do them for months, you wouldn’t see them, and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him and he wasn’t in the greatest of shape," the POTUS added.

However, experts warned that despite his confidence at the press conference, things still seemed out of the ordinary for Trump, who was recently diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.

Body language expert Judi James told The Irish Star, "The line was handed to the president on a plate and ripe for one of his comedy one-liners to lay all the health rumors to rest, and the chuckles of expectation from Vance and the others suggested they were waiting for this too."

"But Trump’s performance had been predominantly low on energy at this point and low on any of his usual showboating," James added.

She further said, "Instead of ripping into a public refute of both his demise and rumors of illness, he instead paused and said ‘no’ he hadn’t heard about that. His expression remained serious and although his chin was raised his lip held in a clamp as his eyes fell diagonally to his right as though taking the news and digesting it."

Judi James says Trump seemed 'verbally defensive', signalling potential anxiety

Judi James told the outlet that the POTUS also licked his lips when he heard the question before becoming “verbally defensive,” which could signal potential anxiety.

She said, “Trump warmed to his theme at last though, with a smile beginning to appear as he claimed ‘Fake News,’ with some micro-flaps of his elbows hinting at indignation.”

“It was only when he warmed to the subject of cleaning up the big cities that his lower jaw began to jut and his voice rose to an occasional shout as he claimed success in making Washington safe,” James concluded.

On September 2, Trump appeared in the Oval Office to announce that the US Space Command would be moved from Colorado to Alabama, reversing a Biden-era decision.

However, despite enthusiasm over the announcement from Republicans, Trump’s health continued to draw attention.

The president’s speech followed a series of sightings on August 30, August 31, and Monday, September 1, at his golf club in Virginia. Trump had also taken a week-long break after a three-hour Cabinet meeting last week.