President Donald Trump recently met with five African leaders at the White House. The meeting was organized to reinforce diplomatic ties. However, rather than garnering appreciation and praise, it drew scrutiny. And this time it was not the tariffs or the policies that people had objected to, it was the President’s visible disengaged and impatient behavior.
Body language and communication expert Judi James has once again broken down Donald Trump’s demeanor during this meeting.
James is a UK-based expert renowned for her insights into public figures’ nonverbal cues. She has shared her views on Trump’s behavior on several different occasions. She has described Trump’s physical and facial expressions as those of being emotionally detached and mildly frustrated.
Her analysis was originally published by the Irish Star. It paints a picture of someone who is in a revered position and struggling to be engaged. The meeting surely would have been lengthy and tedious, and Trump does not seem interested in it.
James called Trump’s demeaning equivalent to that of a bored school kid who is just waiting for the class to end.
His posture was slouched, his gaze was downward, and his expression was motionless. He looked like someone who was present only in body, but mentally and emotionally, he was somewhere else.
in the history of being bored and not listening, nobody has ever been more bored and not listening than Trump is right now pic.twitter.com/VQk1itSEnK
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 9, 2025
James described his demeanor as “sulking.” She cited his blank stares and tight-lipped expressions as the signs he was not invested in the moment.
Though the comparison is unflattering, it surely is telling. Donald Trump has been seen paying attention to leaders who can talk to him in English without any heavy accent, or those leaders with whom Trump can negotiate trade.
In the absence of either of these, Trump looks very bored. Despite the apparent boredom, James noted some physical efforts by Trump to stay awake and alert. She pointed out some of Trump’s gestures. Such moments, though rare, were there.
During the meeting, Trump leaned forward over clasped hands and subtly stretched. This is a small but telling movement that suggests an internal struggle to remain focused. These minor gestures are common signs of someone trying to push through a lack of interest.
James interpreted these movements as an effort to maintain decorum while mentally disconnected. She did not align these gestures with being engaged.
“It’s what people do when they know they should be paying attention but can’t quite summon the energy,” she explained.
LMAO — Trump gestures to one of the African leaders to wrap it up and then says, “maybe we’re gonna have to go a bit quicker than this, because we have a whole schedule. If I could just have your name and country it would be great.” pic.twitter.com/Weyg26nDOR
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 9, 2025
There was one of the subtle hand gestures that Trump did during the meeting. He made the gestures with his hand to imply “wrap-it-up” as if trying to finish up the meeting. This signal is typically used behind the scenes to cue a speaker to finish. This time, Trump directed this gesture at one of the African leaders mid-speech.
For James, this was a clear display of impatience. In diplomatic settings, such gestures are rare and potentially disrespectful. The act suggested Trump had mentally “checked out” and was eager to end the interaction altogether.
Trump had all the time in the world for Bibi’s theatricals, but he said he has no time for pleasantries with the African presidents! Let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/K9XrdG82Vx
— Ali Naka – Commentary (@MimiNiMwafrika) July 10, 2025
James said all these cues signal towards a leader who is not interested in lengthy and deep discussions with African leaders.
Judi James’s body language analysis of President Trump provides a revealing glimpse into his mindset. From being visibly bored and sulking to impatience and subtle attempts at withdrawal, Trump’s nonverbal cues painted a portrait of frustration cloaked in formality.
