You may have expected President Donald Trump and New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s first public meeting to be contentious given the pair’s drastically different political beliefs. (Not to mention everything they’ve said to the press over the past few months.)
But their meeting, held in the Oval Office on Friday, was astoundingly pleasant. The two men smiled, laughed and agreed to work together to make New York City more affordable. And body language experts say their interactions were telling.
“Both Trump and Zohran looked as though that they were comfortable and cordial,” said Karen Donaldson, a body language expert and author of “Speak Like You Breathe: Straight Talk To Say What You Mean, Be Heard & Get Noticed.” “There was no exhibit of anger, hostility or harsh disagreement in either one of their faces or other gestures.”
To better understand the moment, we tapped three body language experts for a deeper analysis. Here’s what they said:
Trump is sitting while Mamdani stands next to him, which is a surprising dynamic.
The first thing you’ll notice is that Trump is seated at his desk. Mamdani is standing next to him.
According to Patti Wood, a body language expert and author of “SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma,” research on office politics body language shows that bosses often take a dominant position by sitting while the subordinate stands in front of their desk.
But though Trump is sitting, the pair are side by side. “If Mamdani was standing in front of the desk in traditional office politics body language, he would look weaker, but [by] standing side-by-side, he looks taller, more powerful, more vital and energetic,” she said.
Mamdani remains in a ‘fig leaf position’ throughout the meeting.
During the meeting, Mamdani stands in a fig leaf position, a gesture where you clasp your hands in front of your abdomen, covering up your midsection. “This is protecting himself and also may show submissiveness,” said Traci Brown, a body language expert and behavior analyst.
Donaldson added that having your hands clasped can also signal self-restraint or nervousness. It’s often used to self soothe and induce a state of calm, she explained. “However, Zohran’s hand clasp is loose so I generally say his state of nervousness wasn’t at an all-time high, it felt calm,” she said.
In general, Mamdani appeared energetic and vital, according to Wood. “Frequently, his arm comes up and out from his side, he’s smiling, his head is up, specifically his chin is up, which shows power and control over the situation and confidence,” she said.
JIM WATSON via Getty Images
President Donald Trump meets with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
Trump clasps his hands and frequently shrugs, which can induce ‘comfort.’
At his desk, Trump keeps his hands clasped with his left hand covering his right. This is called the “campfire position,” according to Wood. “The campfire hand position is a comfort cue, a way of holding your own hand, but I also believe he has been doing this to cover up his right hand, which often shows makeup-covered bruises,” she said.
Trump’s grasp appears loose and comfortable. There’s no tension, Donaldson noted. This might be “telling us that he’s highly confident in his current space and with what he’s currently sharing,” she suggested.
One thing Brown noticed is that Trump shrugs a lot when praising Mamdani. “This says uncertainty even though his words actually say confidence,” Brown said.
Trump repeatedly smiles at and playfully taps Mamdani.
At multiple points during the meeting, Trump glances up at Mamdani and smiles widely. It’s a big, playful smile, Wood observed. “A smile I have not seen very often on Trump because it’s a spontaneous, flowing, wave-like smile that shows real playfulness and a desire to engage with Mamdani authentically,” she said.
You’ll also see Trump playfully nudge Mamdani when a reporter asks if the mayor-elect thinks Trump is a fascist. By hitting Mamdani, Trump is essentially demonstrating that he is in charge. “Make no mistake, Trump thinks he can control the Mamdani situation. It sounds nice on the surface, but the nonverbals tell the story,” Brown explained.
Wood calls these playful taps a “dominance dance.” He uses the taps to gain Mamdani’s attention and show fatherly authority, she said. But Mamdani doesn’t appear to dance back. Dancing back, for context, may have included things like making mutual eye contact and turning his body toward Trump, according to Wood.
Instead, Mamdani stays stoic, Donaldson noted. “He did not overtly acknowledge it, but also did not dismiss the pat. It was like a buddy pat,” she said.
