Donald Trump stuck his foot and whole leg in it while speaking with the Prime Minister of Japan on Thursday, joking about the bombing of Pearl Harbor that brought America into World War Two.
The hair-raising moment came as the president was being questioned about NATO countries' reticence to join his war on Iran, with Trump explaining that he 'didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise.'
He added: “Who knows better about surprise than Japan, OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK? Right?” But despite this indelicate and undiplomatic use of language in front of an important ally, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi refrained from reacting.
Body language expert Dr Beth Dawson has broken down how how the PM kept her cool on the surface, despite the anger boiling underneath. She said: "Sanae Takaichi maintains control of her response to Trump’s comments about 'surprise' and Pearl Harbor; however, there is clear leakage in her body language."
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Dr Dawson added: "While she remains composed verbally, she visibly withdraws and retreats from the content of his remarks."
The behavioral analyst argued that Takaichi often presents as 'highly assertive, direct, and controlled,' while remaining withing the 'structured, respectful norms of Japanese political communication.'
But this 'Iron Lady' of Japan is known in her own country for 'unusual directness' with her taking firm and direct positions on political issues, especially security matters. "This makes the contrast between her usual composure and her non-verbal reactions here especially notable," Dawson said.
She then broke down the soft signals that the PM gave off as Trump made his insensitive comment. Dr Dawson said: "When Trump refers to 'surprise,' Takaichi briefly purses her lips.
"Lip pursing is universally associated with suppressed disagreement or disapproval: it is a classic self-restraint signal, indicating that she is holding back a response she is not willing to express openly."
The subtle changes that passed across Takaichi's face afterwards said more than the Japanese leader ever would have. But rather than anger, the Prime Minister mostly appeared to be embarrassed.
The body language expert explained: "She also looks as if she is trying to suppress a smile but due to the raised eyebrows and the lowered eye gaze, this is more of an embarrassed reaction as opposed to finding something funny.
"This is reinforced by subtle finger movements and the way she pulls her hands slightly backwards on her knees, suggesting rising tension and internal conflict."
What was bubbling away underneath was actually a strained attempt to control her response in front of the world leader.
Dr Dawson said: "At the same moment, she raises her eyebrows, signalling a flash of surprise or disbelief, followed almost immediately by a brief eye closure. This eye closure functions as a blocking behaviour, a subtle attempt to momentarily disengage from what is being said.
"Together, these signals point to active emotional management."
She also pointed out the more 'subtle' signs of anger that flickered across her face and was reflected in her posture.
The expert said: "As 'Pearl Harbor' is mentioned, we see a fleeting micro-expression combining surprise and anger in her eye region, as her eyes open wider and she stares at someone in the audience very briefly, chin down but eye-brows slightly raised - it's a subtle movement and shows incredulity and it's followed by a distinct backward movement of the upper body.
"This physical shift of the upper body is very significant: leaning away is a classic distancing behaviour, indicating psychological disengagement from the message."
This body language revealed both Takaichi's displeasure and her self-control, with Dr Dawson pointing out: "Although she maintains verbal control, her non-verbal behaviour signals discomfort, suppressed disagreement, and a desire to distance herself from the comments."
Topics: Donald Trump, Japan, World War 2
William Morgan