Associated Press
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump said as much with their faces as they did with their words during Tuesday’s debate.
With their microphones muted unless it was their turn to speak, according to the debate rules, body language took on outsized importance for Harris and Trump.
Harris in particular leaned into the nonverbal communication, keenly aware that her every reaction was being broadcast to the world, “speaking” to the audience even while Trump ostensibly had the floor. Networks showed a split screen with both candidates for most of the debate.
At various points she looked amused or befuddled by whatever Trump was saying, as if wordlessly saying he was lying. A few times she dramatically put her fingers under her chin, eyes wide, head tilted. Other times she laughed.
Trump sometimes scowled, sometimes smiled curtly. His eyes flashed anger or annoyance, perhaps even boredom at times. He rarely looked at Harris while she spoke, instead pointing his face forward toward the cameras or ABC News moderators.
When the candidates did have the floor, Trump and Harris both gesticulated with their hands, mannerisms that are by now familiar to Americans who’ve spent a lot of time watching them.
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
4 comments
Jacob Haskins
September 11, 2024 at 9:39 pm
Trump looked terrified the entire time. From the moment she shook his hand he looked like a cornered dog. Even his upper lip was sweating. And never once even looked directly at the camera.
Victoria A Olson
September 12, 2024 at 12:08 am
I guess you’ve reported the Republican FOX version of the debate. Hello Trump is insane from dementia and this bozo wants to be president when he’s saying immigrants are eating your pets. how can you even defend this lunatic? Shame on you.
Tom
September 12, 2024 at 8:47 am
It’s called sane washing. The media pretending he’s a somewhat normal human being who makes something resembling sense so as they’re seen as being fair and unbiased in their reporting. I doubt anyone other than the folks who are rusted onto him think he’s anything other than an imbecile. Welcome to 2024.
Michael K
September 12, 2024 at 9:04 am
I think this debate showed that it’s past time for the Republican Party to stop covering and abandon the senile old man who is susceptible to insane conspiracy theories and unable to control his emotions, let alone speak coherently.
Michae Steele, a Republican, and former chair of the Republican National Committee described Trump as a “pissed bigot on a stage with a woman he cannot control.” He also said that Harris “spanked his (Trump’s) ass.”
Clearly, Trump is unfit and unworthy of the office. Several body language experts gave their analysis on Politico, which is worth reading..
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