Body language analyst Greg Hartley said on Newsmax today that President Donald Trump’s high spirits at the outset of his Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday appeared to diminish by the time the two leaders concluded their discussions.
Speaking on “America Right Now,” Hartley explained that the encounter started off on an upbeat note, with positive signals exchanged by both men.
“You see that reach by Putin, the real reach to get a handshake? That shows enthusiasm on his part,” Hartley said.
“Look at how animated his body language is. His hands are rising up into what my partner would call a passion plane from the behavior panel.
“What we’re seeing is he’s excited to be there. I think Trump did the bravo clap. He did the thumbs-up. We’re starting off with a lot of enthusiasm in this very beginning.”
But according to Hartley, the mood changed once the two leaders spent three hours in private talks before facing reporters. He noted that Trump’s demeanor revealed tension as he spoke about unresolved disagreements.
“You can see it because Trump’s blink rate increases, which indicates stress when he’s talking about there’s one very sticky one and a couple that they still have to work on,” Hartley said.
“So I don’t know that anyone really got the upper hand. I think that Putin knew what he was willing to give, and Trump was trying to push a little harder.”
By the end of the meeting, Hartley observed that Trump’s gestures contrasted noticeably with the energetic way he had greeted Putin earlier.
“I think we see Trump reaching out with a very different handshake than he did in the beginning,” Hartley said. “You also see him doing a little mouth grooming, which is an indicator of stress as he moves his mouth and teeth.
“And then Putin looks like he’s happy with the outcome. But I think Trump is less happy. It looks more disappointed than he did in the beginning, where he looked very enthusiastic.”
Robert Wilkie, who served three years in Trump’s Cabinet, echoed that assessment in a separate appearance on Newsmax earlier Saturday, saying he could instantly recognize the look on Trump’s face.
“After three years in the Cabinet, when I saw that look, I knew that he wasn’t happy,” Wilkie said.
{Matzav.com}
