{"id":40454,"date":"2025-07-27T06:03:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T06:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/40454\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T06:03:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T06:03:22","slug":"trumps-body-language-during-awkward-exchange-with-jerome-powell-spoke-volumes-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/40454\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump’s Body Language During Awkward Exchange With Jerome Powell Spoke Volumes, Experts Say"},"content":{"rendered":"

President\u00a0Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0visit to the Federal Reserve this week produced some awkward soundbites. But body language experts think there were several nonverbal moments between Trump and Federal Reserve Chair\u00a0Jerome Powell<\/a>\u00a0that spoke volumes.<\/p>\n

Even though presidents rarely visit the politically independent central bank, Trump on Thursday toured the building, which is being renovated.<\/p>\n

Trump and members of his administration have been publicly lambasting Powell for months over the Fed\u2019s unwillingness to lower interest rates. The president\u00a0has previously called on Powell to resign<\/a>\u00a0before his term ends in May 2026, and he\u2019s referred to the Fed chair as a\u00a0\u201cnumbskull.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Furthermore, Trump had criticized the Fed\u2019s renovation of two historic buildings prior to his visit on Thursday. His administration has accused\u00a0Powell of mismanaging the project<\/a>, with Trump calling the renovations \u201cdisgraceful,\u201d The Associated Press\u00a0reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, Trump stood next to Powell at the construction site and told reporters that the cost of the renovations amounted to approximately $3.1 billion, saying it \u201cwent up a little bit \u2014 or a lot\u201d while Powell shook his head in disagreement.<\/p>\n

Trump then insisted his numbers were correct as he took out a piece of paper to confirm the costs. But when Powell saw the paper, he pointed out that the president was incorrectly factoring in the price of renovations on a third building that had been completed five years prior.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019re including the Martin renovation? You just added in a third building,\u201d Powell said. \u201cThat\u2019s a third building.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I know, but it\u2019s a building that\u2019s being built,\u201d Trump responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It was built five years ago,\u201d Powell corrected him. \u201cWe finished Martin five years ago … It\u2019s not new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump signaled to reporters following the tour that he would not be seeking to fire Powell, saying he didn\u2019t think it would be \u201cnecessary\u201d and that he believes the Fed chair is \u201cgoing to do the right thing,\u201d he said,\u00a0per the AP<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But people online have still had a lot to say about the cringey tour. So we talked to body language experts, and they say there\u2019s a lot more to take away from the president\u2019s visit to the Federal Reserve on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confer during the president’s visit to the Federal Reserve on July 24, 2025. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Powell\u2019s body language said a lot during his back-and-forth with Trump over renovation costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patti Wood<\/a>, a body language and nonverbal communication expert and author of \u201cSNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma,\u201d said that before Trump provided his $3.1 billion figure, Powell\u2019s shoulders were drooping slightly, with his mouth in a \u201ctight downward frown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows something bad is coming,\u201d she told HuffPost. She later noted that after Trump shared his estimate, Powell \u201cimmediately and dramatically\u201d turned his head to Trump, gave him a \u201crazor sharp glare of anger\u201d and then rapidly shook his head \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is fascinating, as very few people actually shake their heads [\u2018no\u2019] when Trump makes a false statement, making what would typically be a rather innocuous back-and-forth head shake an indication of Powell\u2019s personal confidence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wood also noted that while shaking his head, Powell closed his eyes for \u201clonger than three seconds,\u201d which she explained is called an \u201ceye shutter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEye shutter is a subconscious nonverbal cue that someone gives when they want to block out information,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Karen Donaldson<\/a>, a communication and body language expert, also noted that Powell had occasionally closed his eyes during that moment, and she said that gesture, coupled with shaking his head \u201cno,\u201d communicates disagreement or disapproval.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is another moment where Powell had a strong response\u2026 we see it when he pulls his head and neck area back and slightly faces Trump, a gesture that signals someone being caught off guard and quickly distancing themselves,\u201d she told HuffPost.<\/p>\n

She later added that both Powell and Trump at one point stopped facing each other and faced forward. \u201cIt displayed a bit of a standoff,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Did<\/p>\n

Did it mean something when Trump removed his hard hat? ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Trump removing his hard hat while Powell was speaking was telling, experts say.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Trump and Powell\u2019s back-and-forth over the renovation costs, the president asked Powell if he expected any \u201cadditional cost overruns,\u201d to which Powell replied: \u201cDon\u2019t expect them. We\u2019re ready for them. We have a little bit of a reserve that we may use, but no, we don\u2019t. Expect to be finished in 2027; we\u2019re well along, as you can see.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Powell neared the end of his response, Trump removed his hard hat and said: \u201cNice to take these off every once in a while, when we\u2019re not under too much danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traci Brown<\/a>, an author and body language expert, told HuffPost that Trump was signaling at that moment that he was showing \u201che\u2019s in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing has changed around him, but suddenly it\u2019s safe,\u201d she observed.<\/p>\n

Wood said that she believes it was a signal that Trump was done interacting.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said his piece, and now he can take off his costume and be done,\u201d she said. \u201cIt also serves as a way of directing attention away from Powell and back on himself, as it\u2019s a large, sweeping motion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donaldson noted that Trump redirected the conversation to his hard hat, and his body language at that moment might have signaled disinterest in what was being said.<\/p>\n

And shortly after, when a reporter asked Trump what he would do as a real estate developer with a project manager who was over budget, the president said that, generally speaking, he\u2019d \u201cfire \u2019em.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown noted that he dropped his tone at that moment, showing \u201cauthority.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Powell<\/p>\n

Powell doesn’t look thrilled to be touched by Trump. via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what experts say Trump communicated when he made physical contact with Powell.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At one point during the visit, a reporter asked Trump whether there\u2019s anything Powell could say that would make him walk back some of his previous criticism of the Fed chair.<\/p>\n

The president hit Powell\u2019s back in response and said in a comical tone: \u201cWell, I\u2019d love him to lower interest rates; other than that, what can I tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe shouts this out as he turns to look at Powell, then hits him hard on his back,\u201d Wood said about the moment. \u201cThat\u2019s not just a subtle subconscious weapon-like gesture. Trump hits him in a punishing way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of force is highly unusual,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Donaldson thought the moment was a \u201cmix between a playful touch and a control touch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe playful touch accompanied with a laugh to break the tension.\u00a0As well as a control touch to move Powell in the direction in which he wanted to walk,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Brown said that she believes that Trump \u201cslaps Powell on the back under the guise of being old friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut a hit is a hit, and that shows anger,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd they move like they\u2019re gonna walk off. This is Trump regulating Powell\u2019s behavior. He\u2019s showing that he can move Powell wherever he wants to.\u201d<\/p>\n

And when Trump again told reporters a minute or so later that he\u2019d like to see interest rates come down, Brown said that Powell\u2019s lips were pursed \u201cin disagreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

While analyzing this moment, Wood added, Trump was standing in front of Powell, blocking him from the media.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the background, you see a sad face, diminished Powell,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Related…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President\u00a0Donald Trump\u2019s\u00a0visit to the Federal Reserve this week produced some awkward soundbites. But body language experts think there…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40455,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[32678,28,12,2800,2938],"class_list":{"0":"post-40454","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-body-language","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-donald-trump","11":"tag-federal-reserve","12":"tag-jerome-powell"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}