President Donald Trump‘s posture and demeanor at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday were quite noteworthy, causing quite a few to take a closer look. Instead of his typical “alpha slump”, where he sits with his elbows outstretched, indicating a strong and dominant presence, he was seen in a more hunched position, with his hands out of view. This stance was quite different from his usual posture.
Judi James, an expert on reading body language, had an exclusive talk with the Irish Star. She mentioned that his actions during the meeting didn’t reflect the same level of confidence we’ve come to expect from him.
“This isn’t the usual power pose,” she said. “He’s self-diminishing. His vocal tone is softer, more affectionate, with moments of repetition that signal active listening.”
Trump’s voice also caught her attention. It was softer and more caring, and he repeated things more than usual. This shift, in James’ eyes, indicates that he was indeed paying attention to what people had to say. It’s like he didn’t want to be the sole commander of the operation anymore. This new behavior was the antithesis of his usual stance, which occupies space. It’s as if he’s not telling us in words but something that he is becoming aware of—the burdens of his office.
The backdrop to the slump? It’s about the growing tariff mess. Over the last seven days, President Trump has turned up the heat on U.S. tariffs against China, pushing them from 104% to an astonishing 145%. This upping came after China hit back with an 84% tariff on almost everything. In the middle of all this, on Wednesday, he said there’d be a 90-day break from these tariffs, but guess what? Not for China, Mexico, or Canada.
ABC News reported that the global markets had a little party over this pause, but the celebration didn’t last long. Thursday rolled around, and they were back in a downward spiral because no one’s quite sure what’s happening and because Trump’s sticking to his guns on China. What did he say about it? He called it a “transition cost” and then tried to put a positive spin on it by saying, “But in the end, it’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Inside the Cabinet Room, President Trump took the time to listen carefully to what each person had to say, starting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and ending with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. But things weren’t as normal as they usually are. Surprise! Elon Musk showed up even though Trump said he wouldn’t. Pete Hegseth had big news: American soldiers were sent to Panama to “resecure the canal.”
BREAKING 🚨 Secretary of State Marco Rubio just dropped the 🎤 and embarrassed the Fake News
“The press covers student visas like they’re some sort of birthright”
KICK THEM ALL OUT pic.twitter.com/631Rk7jTkI
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) April 10, 2025
And then, Tulsi Gabbard, who is part of the team, dropped another big piece of information: the government will soon let everyone see secret files about when Robert F. Kennedy was killed. This drama happened as Robert F. Kennedy Jr was sitting right there, and he’s now the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The day before, President Donald Trump was excited about the stock market doing better than ever. But when the stocks went down the next day, he didn’t say much about it to the people who wrote the news. He said, “I haven’t seen it because I’ve been in here for two and a half hours.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent didn’t seem too worried. He talked about how prices weren’t going up too fast anymore and how they were going to start talking about trade with Vietnam. He’s sure that“Over the next 90 days, we’ll reach a place of great certainty.”
During today’s meeting to confirm the start of formal discussions on reciprocal trade with Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc of Vietnam, I emphasized the need for continued engagement and quick, demonstrable progress to resolve outstanding issues. pic.twitter.com/j3wd25l7sU
— Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 10, 2025
With the 90 days for securing trade agreements steadily counting down, the urgency to reach a deal is increasing. President Trump has kept his cards close to his chest on the matter. He mentioned, “If we can’t make the deal… we go back to where we were,” indicating there’s a potential of reverting to increased tariffs.
Nevertheless, he is still optimistic about a good development with China, calling President Xi a “friend” and stressing the essence of mutual respect. During the Thursday meeting, President Trump’s tone and demeanor were softer than expected. It was as if the gravity of his actions as a world player was finally sinking in—such that he was starting to feel the strain of his choices.
