Body language expert breaks down Liberian president's reaction to Trump's 'idiotic' comment about his English
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Viral, World News, Africa
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Viral, World News, Africa
A body language expert has broken down how Liberian President Joseph Boakai reacted as he met with Donald Trump and was complimented by the POTUS for his 'good English'.
It seems clear that Trump was trying to praise Boakai when he asked where he'd learned to 'speak so beautifully' as the pair sat down for a lunch in the State Dining Room in the White House, but there's one glaringly awkward issue with Trump's commentary on Boakai's language: English is Liberia's official language.
This fact meant that listeners were left cringing over Trump's remarks, with one writing: "This is so embarrassing."
"Country ran by idiots," added another.
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Boakai handled the situation well as he simply explained to Trump that he'd learned English in his home country, and Trump appeared to try and make a joke out of the whole situation as he responded: "That’s very interesting. It’s beautiful language. I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well."
The whole encounter has received a lot of attention online, and now body language expert Darren Stanton has broken down the encounter between the two leaders.
Speaking to UNILAD on behalf of Fruity King, Stanton said: “It is not so much the non-verbal cues in this clip, it is the verbal. The voice tone of the Liberian President is very relaxed, calm, smooth and deliberate. President Boakai has very cleverly allowed himself to be the submissive partner in the relationship, he keeps his voice low and is very reactive in his speech rather than proactive.
“This is the perfect way to deal with someone like Trump, allow him to feel as though he is in charge and leading and he will give you what you want."
When it comes to Trump's remarks about Boakai's English, Stanton acknowledged that it could 'come across as rude', but also acted as a sign that 'Boakai is making [Trump] feel comfortable'.
"The tone of Trump’s voice suggests it wasn’t an intentional slight, he was genuinely surprised and appeared to be unaware of how the comment could have come across," Stanton said.
“Trump seems happy to be working with them, despite the comment, he matched the tone and pitch of Baokai, suggesting he likes him and is keen to build trust and rapport.”
Boakai's encounter with the Trump came as part of a three-day summit in Washington DC in which Trump welcomed the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal, as well as Liberia.