Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, Viral
Emily Brown
A body language expert has broken down a 'powerful' moment that he spotted after French president Emmanuel Macron interrupted US president Donald Trump to correct him when they sat down together for a press conference.
Macron joined Trump at the White House in Washington on Monday (February 26), just after the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and at a time when relations between the US and Europe remain fragile.
During the press conference, Macron showed support for Trump's decision to establish a connection with Russian president Vladimir Putin as he said there was 'good reason' for the leaders to 're-engage'.
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However, the French leader made sure to differentiate opinion from fact, as he interrupted Trump at one point to correct him on his claims about Europe's support for Ukraine.
When Trump argued that Europe is 'loaning the money to Ukraine' and would be 'getting their money back', Macron stepped in to fact-check.
“No, in fact. To be frank, we paid. We paid 60 percent of the total effort," he said.
Now, body language expert Darren Stanton has broken down that particular interaction, sharing his thoughts on how both Macron and Trump were feeling in the moment.
Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, he told UNILAD: "When Macron is seen interrupting Trump, he still has a lot of control in this situation and doesn't show many signs of embarrassment.
"Trump let Macron speak when he interrupted him. Trump initially had his hands together, which indicates he was giving him the benefit of the doubt - he wanted to let Macron have his moment - before moving into a steeple gesture. This is a power move, where anyone using this gesture believes they are the most powerful person in the room."
Stanton expressed belief that this subtle gesture from Trump was an effort from him to 'prove he had control'.
The expert continued: "Trump also made a gesture with his hand. Macron then continued and put his hand on Trump as he corrected him, while Trump held his hand out to shake it, which really meant 'yeah, whatever'. He was also seen nodding along and smiling while looking into the audience. Macron wasn't holding the reins during this encounter. We anticipated Trump would be quite civil, but from his body gestures, it's clear he didn't agree with Macron."
As Macron interrupted Trump, he explained that European nations provided 'real money' just like the US had, through a combination of 'loans, guarantees and grants'.
Trump then told journalists: “If you believe that, it’s okay with me."