Body language expert breaks down awkward moment Trump appears to ‘pump himself up’ during flag waving display

Donald Trump’s attempt to wave a green flag at an IndyCar race has gone viral, but a body language expert believes there was more going on than an awkward-looking gesture.

Casino.ca’s body language expert Inbaal Honigman analyzed footage of Trump starting the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., on Sunday and believes his facial expressions and movements suggest he realized the flag-waving was not coming across as intended.

She says Trump initially appeared to be trying to project calm before seemingly becoming frustrated and then attempting to 'pump himself up' to make the moment work.

Trump was handed the green flag shortly before 1:20 p.m. by Medal of Honor recipients Command Sgt. Maj. Matt Williams and Col. Paris Davis, with First Lady Melania Trump looking on.

He then began moving the flag rapidly from side to side, in a moment that quickly became one of the race’s most replayed clips and very quickly became a meme.

The first-of-its-kind IndyCar event, held as part of the US’s 250th-anniversary celebrations, drew an estimated 140,000 spectators to Washington, with drivers competing on a 1.7-mile circuit around the National Mall.

What does Trump’s body language reveal during the flag waving?

For Honigman, the way Trump handled the flag was only part of the story.

“The President waves the flag as if he's never attempted flag waving before this very second,” she said.

She described his hand and wrist movements as 'jerky' and 'uncertain,' arguing that Trump appeared to expect the flag to behave differently once he started moving it.

But Honigman believes Trump’s facial expression provides the biggest clue about how he was experiencing the moment.

As he waved, Trump appeared to smile calmly while continuing to move the flag with considerable force.

“The Leader of the Free World attempts a serene, radiant facial expression that conveys profound bliss, inner peace, and saintly contentment,” Honigman said.

She argued that the expression did not appear to match the physical action.

“If Trump were genuinely at peace, the flag would behave very differently in his hand,” she said.

According to Honigman, that apparent mismatch changes shortly afterwards, when Trump seems to realize the display is not working.

“A second or two into the display, Trump appears to realize that he's not doing well,” Honigman said.

She pointed to what appeared to be Trump gritting his teeth in annoyance, suggesting he then considered how he could change the way the moment was coming across.

Honigman says two things happen next: Trump raises his chin with determination and puts more force into his wrist movement.

“His facial expressions and hand gestures come together to convey his ambition to succeed at this,” she said.

Rather than simply changing his technique, Honigman believes Trump appeared to be trying to encourage himself through the moment.

“The President appears to be encouraging himself, pumping himself up, and trying to manifest success,” she said.

The White House also shared the footage on X with the caption, 'When someone says Trust in Trump.'

The post went on to surpass one million views. For Honigman, however, the important detail is what appears to happen after Trump realizes the gesture is not coming across as intended.

“Trump's body language suggests that he can tell this isn't coming across as intended, but he appears frustrated by his inability to fix it.”