Donald Trump did not need to say much when Volodymyr Zelenskyy walked into the White House. His body did all the talking. From the first pumped fist to the controlling handshakes, experts say Trump’s every move was about dominance.
The moment Zelenskyy arrived, Trump raised his fist like he was heading into a fight. Body language expert Traci Brown said, “He’s planning on being in full control.” Trump even leaned into Zelenskyy’s personal space, his palm so close it was almost under the Ukrainian president’s chin. To Brown, this was no accident. It was a power play.
Another expert, Patti Wood, called the fist pump a “symbolic weapon.” She explained, “Subconsciously, what that means is he feels like he’s in for a fight, and he has to defend himself.” Coming at the very start, it set the tone for the meeting. Later, Trump even pointed to a painting of himself pumping his fist after surviving the 2024 assassination attempt, doubling down on the image of himself as a fighter.
But the control went beyond gestures. Trump also pulled Zelenskyy toward him, almost like a physical reminder of who was stronger. “This is an unconscious show that Trump can move him around,” Brown explained. Zelenskyy refused to give in fully. He swayed but did not move his feet.
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Psychologist Denise M. Dudley said the whole act came off as condescending. “Trump is manhandling the president of a country,” she said. “He’s not treating him like an equal.” She compared it to a prom date being ushered into a room. Wood agreed, describing Trump’s arm around Zelenskyy’s shoulder as something a father would do to a child: “You better behave.”
Even when it came to a suit, Trump turned it into a display of control. Zelenskyy wore formal attire this time, after being criticized for showing up in military-style clothes earlier in the year. Right-wing host Brian Glenn praised him, and Trump joined in. But experts noticed how he touched Zelenskyy while commenting on the outfit. “It’s like he’s showing Zelenskyy off with pride but also belittling him just a touch,” Brown said. Dudley added, “It’s the kind of thing you don’t do with another president ― ‘Look at you. Love the outfit.’”
Still, there were flashes of something different. When Zelenskyy fired back a witty response about the suit, Dudley noted that Trump let out what seemed like a rare, genuine laugh. “Generally, Trump is not somebody who genuinely laughs,” she said. “But here, he let out a real laugh.”
Some experts, like Karen Donaldson, also saw moments that suggested confidence rather than pure dominance. Trump displayed a “low hand steeple,” a gesture showing self-assuredness. She even argued the fist pump could be seen as solidarity, not just aggression.
But Zelenskyy’s body language told its own story. He did not let Trump have all the power. During a handshake, Zelenskyy placed his hand on top of Trump’s, a subtle move to claim dominance. Wood said, “He keeps holding it, and Trump continues to tug. You can see Zelenskyy pulled slightly off balance, but he maintains that top-down grip. It’s a continued battle.”
Featured image via Screengrab
