A new official portrait for President-elect Donald Trump’s second time period has arrived, simply days earlier than his inauguration — and physique language consultants mentioned the picture conveys rather a lot.
On Thursday, Trump’s web site posted his portrait, in addition to a portrait of Vice President-elect JD Vance, with the headline: “Official Portraits Launched — And They Go Onerous????” Individuals swiftly took to social media shortly after to comment on how his noticeably stern expression within the new picture seemed, among other things, awfully much like his mug shot.
Some commenters on X, previously Twitter, thought the picture didn’t look presidential, that Trump appeared “angry” and “insecure,” and that he appeared as if he was attempting to exude toughness or “masculine energy” — an idea that grew to become a large theme of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Lots of his supporters described the picture as “badass” and “powerful.”
When requested to interpret Trump’s expression, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The New York Times: “America. Is. Again.”
The final time Trump made headlines for displaying such a grim look was after he turned himself in on the Fulton County jail in 2023 on prices associated to efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election outcomes. It marked the primary time a mug shot was taken of a U.S. president. Now, his new portrait appears to be like eerily related.
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Physique language consultants suppose Trump’s new portrait, his mug shot and his 2017 presidential portrait, all collectively, may reveal one thing about his present state of mind and the way it’s presumably shifted through the years. Learn on to listen to their takeaways:
What does Trump’s 2025 portrait convey?
Mark Bowden, physique language knowledgeable and writer, mentioned that he believes Trump’s new picture “carries an air of defiance and management.”
“Trump’s expression, with the downward tilt of his chin and brow and the knitted eyebrows, conveys a way of aggression and focus,” he informed HuffPost. “There’s a notable asymmetry in his face — one eye barely extra closed than the opposite — which gives the look of intense concentrating on or scrutiny, as if he’s locking onto a topic.”
Whereas analyzing the complete setting of the portrait, Bowden mentioned that the stripes of the American flag positioned behind the president-elect gave the impression to be pointed towards Trump’s frown strains, “reinforcing a way of dedication and authority.”
He additionally famous that the lighting, and the way it mirrored off Trump’s hair, introduced a “halo-like glow” which “contrasts together with his asymmetrical and confrontational expression.”
“This mix of aggression and symbolic ‘mild’ initiatives each energy and intimidation, relying on how one interprets it,” he mentioned.
Janine Driver, writer and CEO of the Physique Language Institute, informed HuffPost that she thinks Trump’s 2025 picture exhibits a “calculated shift in presentation.”
“His expression, that includes a stern gaze and furrowed forehead, conveys authority and dedication,” she mentioned. “The absence of a smile indicators seriousness, maybe an effort to venture energy.”
Driver defined that in physique language phrases, direct gazes with a “impartial or stern” expression are sometimes interpreted as confidence or dominance. Trump’s “barely tilted chin and agency set of his jaw” may reinforce a “robust man” picture, she mentioned.
“Psychologically, these traits can point out somebody positioning themselves as unyielding and targeted, a shift from the extra congenial vibe of earlier portraits,” she mentioned.
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How does Trump’s new portrait examine to his 2023 mug shot?
Driver thinks Trump’s new official portrait and his 2023 mug shot have “placing similarities.”
“Each characteristic a piercing stare, tight lips, and a furrowed forehead, signaling defiance and confidence,” she mentioned.
However Driver thinks there are some variations between the 2 pictures. Trump’s gaze in his mug shot learn as “confrontational,” whereas she sees his new portrait as extra refined and “much less reactive and extra deliberate.”
Bowden thinks his new portrait “echoes the defiance” proven in his mug shot however the general setting of his new picture works to rework the narrative.
“It’s as if the portrait satirizes or reclaims the narrative of the mug shot, turning it into a press release of energy and management,” he mentioned.
What’s vital in regards to the variations between his new portrait and his 2017 picture?
Bowden mentioned there’s a “vital shift in tone” in his new portrait, and whereas his 2017 picture exhibited “composure, formality and approachability,” the brand new picture “feels way more assertive and confrontational.”
“The 2017 portrait appeared to lean into projecting conventional presidential decorum and approachability, whereas the 2025 portrait seems crafted to embody energy, defiance, and a direct problem to the viewer,” he mentioned.
Driver mentioned that Trump’s new picture, in comparison with his 2017 portrait, “has performed away with any trace of levity.”
She mentioned that the numerous shift suggests a “strategic rebranding” and that it could possibly be “an intentional transfer to prioritize authority over relatability.”
What may this shift in expression proven in his 2025 portrait reveal?
Bowden mentioned that the shift in portraits suggests a “deliberate try and venture defiance, management and energy,” and that his expression and “intense” gaze signifies a “readiness to confront and dominate.”
“The downward tilt of his head provides to the impression of targeted dedication, as if he’s a particular adversary or goal,” he mentioned.
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He added, “This portrait appears to disclose a mindset of defiance and a necessity to claim authority, framing Trump as somebody who positions himself as each protector and aggressor, relying on the viewer’s perspective.”
“From a psychological perspective, this portrait appears to speak: ‘I’ve realized, I’ve tailored, and I’m prepared for no matter comes subsequent,’” Driver mentioned.
She added, “Whether or not one admires or critiques him, it’s laborious to disclaim the intentionality behind each aspect of this new portrayal,” she mentioned.
