In the last few days, Texas has been devastated by the loss of personal and property. While the nation mourned the loss and the tragedy, people have complained about the silence from the White House.
The current administration was called cold and irresponsible to not even release any statement on the tragedy. However, recently renowned body language expert Judi James released fresh commentary on President Donald Trump’s demeanor during a recent Cabinet meeting.
President Trump’s presence in front of the camera was subdued, which is a rare show and a departure from his usual theatrical style. The clip was shared by journalist Aaron Rupar, which Ms. James dissected.
She claimed that Trump was exhibiting a genuine sorrow towards the Texas flood tragedy. She also noted that Trump was not showboating during his remarks about the tragedy. That is something extremely uncharacteristic of him.
Trump on Texas floods that killed more than 100 people and counting: “Their response has been incredible … I think a lot of lives have been saved. As bad as it was, you could’ve lost double or triple. Congratulations on a great job.” pic.twitter.com/iWYvH56mTf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 8, 2025
The Texas Tragedy has claimed more than 100 lives so far. The President was discussing the coordination between the federal government and Texas authorities and was mainly concerned about the rescue efforts led by first responders.
James has called Trump’s body language naturally sober, serious, and subdued.
Ms. James also outlined three distinct emotional phases that she said were visible in Trump’s body language throughout his brief but revealing appearance.
She claimed that there was sorrow in Trump’s demeanor. One can see the clip and will find, Trump is visibly somber at the beginning of the clip. James found Trump’s eyes to be bearing sorrow.
She further dissected his gestures, like him, barring lower teeth that were when Trump spoke about his relationship with Texas and the effort taken by both state and federal first responders, an apparent sign of emotional strain, he was sitting with minimal movement and had a downcast tone.
— Judi James (@thejudijames) July 8, 2025
However, in a proper Trump fashion, he took a turn from the point once he started talking about helicopters.
However, Trump’s energy spiked when he enthusiastically talked about the rescue mission. He praised the people involved in this mission. He talked about different tools and equipment brought out for the rescue mission. He also talked about helicopters.
“They were real pros and were responsible for pulling out a lot of people,” he stated.
James claims that this shift highlighted Trump’s desire to remain positive even though he knows how difficult the times are and how overwhelming this tragedy is.
“Trump’s natural state tends to be about positivity,” she said, “and it sounds and looks important to him to pick out something to congratulate.”
Trump wrapped up his remarks with a balanced tone, and he tried to exuberate upliftment, positivity, and empathy. He praised a unified response to the flood and even said that Texas would have seen far worse flood damage if the first response had again between uplift and empathy.
Firefighters from Mexico help w/ the rescue efforts in Texas. Despite all the racist rhetoric, the trump administration has said about Mexicans, they continue to show what true humanity looks like. Don’t forget that firefighters from Mexico also helped w/ the CA wildfires! 🙌🏽🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/LVsvyM9EkE
— GraceSea 🍉🔻🐋 (@HungryBunnie23) July 8, 2025
He praised the unified response to the floods and expressed hope that many lives had been saved. He concluded with an announcement that he and First Lady Melania Trump would visit the area soon.
James noted a rise in tone and emotions as he mentioned Melania. But also recognized his careful language when he added, “We don’t want to get in anyone’s way.”
This rare glimpse into a more emotionally measured Trump suggests he may be feeling the gravity of the situation more deeply than usual. James’s analysis hints at a complex emotional state which is part somber reflection, part performative leadership. It perhaps reflects the stress associated with the disaster and the broader responsibilities of his role.
