An unexpected blow caught the POTUS off guard, but was his composed demeanor genuine? A behavioral expert weighs in on the debate.
A body language expert has analyzed Donald Trump’s reaction after he was struck in the face by a reporter’s mic, revealing key emotional responses from the moment.
Speaking to Tyla on behalf of Prime Casino, Darren Stanton examined Trump’s facial expressions and body language immediately after the incident.
According to Stanton, the U.S. President’s initial response included “the tightening of his eyebrows” and “the hardening of his eyes,” which he said are signs of “someone trying to hold back their rage.”
“Trump displayed a combination of anger, shock and disbelief,” Stanton explained. “It flashed across his face for just a second. He was about to draw breath but then bit his lip, almost biting back the rage. It appeared to be an instinctive reaction coming from a place of anger.”
The expert further noted, “The biting of the lip is a clear sign of someone trying to hold back their rage but then his response shows that he didn’t hold it back massively well. He is a very proud man and it made him look a bit silly.”
Stanton also pointed out that Trump’s shift in facial expression signaled a loss of composure. “You can also see the tightening of his eyebrows and the hardening of his eyes,” he concluded. “This shows he was thrown off his train of thought and that the disruption made him very angry.”
The body language expert’s analysis stems from a brief but widely discussed moment during a press conference at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on March 15, 2025.
As Trump addressed reporters before departing Washington, D.C., a boom microphone unexpectedly swung into his face, momentarily disrupting his remarks. The incident quickly went viral, with many debating his composed reaction.
Trump had just delivered a speech at the Department of Justice, during which he criticized the media. Despite this, he appeared to be in good spirits while taking questions from reporters, including one about the situation in the Middle East.
Suddenly, a reporter’s boom microphone — designed to capture audio while people move — made direct contact with Trump’s mouth.
Reacting quickly, Trump closed his eyes and leaned away to avoid further impact. However, he soon laughed off the incident as the microphone was moved back.
He joked about the mic operator’s newfound attention, saying, “She just made television tonight. She just became a big story tonight.” Unable to contain his laughter, he asked, “Did you see that?”
The video of the incident, posted by the Daily Mail on Instagram, drew a range of reactions from viewers. Some found humor in Trump’s reaction, while others criticized the mic operator’s actions.
On Instagram, one person wrote, “That side eye means you’re finished… that’s the last well hear from her [sic].” Another commented, “That look 😂😂😂 #yourefired.” Yet another netizen divulged, “He didn’t like that.”
Others expressed concern, with one pointing out, “She did it intentionally. She doesn’t know what respect is.” Another added, “It’s so disrespectful to the President. He could have fired her on the spot and he didn’t.” A different commenter stated, “Omg.”
People on Facebook also shared their thoughts on the moment. One person commented, “Somebody’s getting fired.” Another wrote, “Ooo the evil side eye [sic],” while someone else observed, “Look at her angrily [sic].”
As the incident quickly gained attention online, discussions have continued about whether it was an accident or a deliberate act. Despite the momentary surprise, Donald Trump handled the situation with humor before continuing on his way.
Just weeks earlier, another moment involving Trump sparked online debate — this time, a handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron. After their meeting, Macron shared details about his visit, prompting netizens to weigh in on the interaction.
Video footage showed Macron, looking dapper in a sharp suit and dark tie, stepping out of a black vehicle and being immediately greeted by the U.S. President. Trump, dressed in a dark blue suit and light blue tie, extended his hand for a firm handshake with Macron.
As the two men’s hands were in an iron grip, each of them placed one of their arms on the other as they exchanged some words.
The duo were locked in a handshake for quite some time, looking on and posing for cameras, before Trump eventually loosened his grip and Macron’s hand fell to his side.
At the end of the video, a reporter was heard asking Trump if he had any words to share for Pope Francis who remains hospitalized.
Although Trump responded, his words were inaudible. Even USA Today noted how extensive the pair’s handshake was. In their caption, they wrote, “Donald Trump welcomed France’s President Emmanuel Macron to the White House with a very long handshake.”
The handshake did not go unnoticed by netizens either. “Powerful,” declared an Instagrammer, while a person on X echoed a similar sentiment, “It’s epic.”
On the other hand, someone else observed, “Looks like Macron had a seriously intense handshake with Trump. Wishing for more gentle connections in the future; perhaps a wave will do!” “It has become a sport,” added a spectator.
Similarly, another person highlighted, “This was not a handshake. It was a wrestling match,” while a fellow observer remarked, “Lmao, that handshake was something else! 😬 It’s like they were trying to out-grip each other.”
Speaking to Fox News about his decision to meet with Trump, Macron explained, “Because of the ongoing negotiation between the US and Russia. Because of all the discussions we had amongst Europeans.”
He continued, “I wanted to come here, first to convey a message of friendship and the importance of the history in the relationship between France and the US.”
Alongside Fox News’ Instagram video post of their interview with Macron, they captioned, “French President Emmanuel Macron discusses his meeting with President Trump and Russia-Ukraine peace talks in an interview with @bretbaier on ‘Special Report.'”
The news outlet also shared a snippet of Macron and Trump’s meeting. They posted footage highlighting a lighthearted moment between the two presidents, with Trump sharing a humorous story about when he, Macron, and their two wives met for dinner at the Eiffel Tower.
“We came out and he started speaking the French deal and we didn’t have an interpreter and he was going on and on and on and I was just nodding yes, yes, yes, and he really sold me out, because I got back the next day […] I read the papers and I said, ‘That’s not what we said,'” divulged Trump.
After recounting the story, the two presidents engaged in a playful fight, lightly tapping each other and then shaking hands as the reporters laughed. “He’s a smart customer, I will tell you that,” quipped Trump.
“President Trump cracks a joke with French President Emmanuel Macron, referencing their different interpretations of a previous meeting in French and English,” captioned Fox News.
Trump’s playful banter and comedic story during his and Macron’s widely discussed meeting juxtaposes a more serious decision the U.S. President’s administration decided to make not too long ago.
Earlier in February, the White House denied access to an Associated Press (AP) reporter for an event in the Oval Office on a Tuesday afternoon after the news organization did not change its terminology regarding the Gulf of Mexico.
President Trump had reportedly ordered that the body of water be renamed the “Gulf of America,” and the AP was asked to reflect this change in its reporting.
The unnamed AP reporter was prevented from entering the White House event as they normally would. Later that same day, a second AP journalist was also barred from attending another event held in the Diplomatic Reception Room. The AP did not disclose the identity of the reporters involved.
In response to the ban, the AP publicly condemned the White House’s decision to bar its reporters from the Oval Office event after they did not adhere to the editorial demand from the Trump administration.
In a statement released on February 11, AP Executive Editor Julie Pace emphasized the organization’s commitment to delivering factual and nonpartisan journalism to a global audience.
Pace revealed that the White House had informed AP that failure to comply with Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America would result in restricted access to official events.
She described the move as alarming, arguing that the administration’s actions amount to punishment for independent journalism.
Pace further asserted that restricting AP’s access based on editorial decisions not only undermines press freedom but also violates the First Amendment, which protects free speech and a free press.
Instead of following the executive order to change the name in their editorial operations, AP has decided to keep referring to the Gulf of Mexico as its original name. However, they will do so while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.
Addressing the ban of AP staff from the Oval Office during a press conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke out about the administration’s decision.
In response to a journalist’s question about who was responsible for the ban, Leavitt stated, “Well, first of all, let me just set the record straight. It is a privilege to cover this White House. It is a privilege to be the White House press secretary, and nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions, that’s an invitation that is given.”
She elaborated, “We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.” As soon as Leavitt concluded her statement, numerous reporters from different outlets raised their hands to respond.
The same journalist who put forward the initial inquiry about the ban questioned whether the White House’s decision was retaliatory.
She added, “There’s a reason the AP was barred, which they said was because they’re not using the phrase, Gulf of America, they’re using Gulf of Mexico, in line with their standards.”
She continued, “And so the question here is, is this setting a precedent that this White House will retaliate against reporters who don’t use the language that you guys believe reporters should use? And how does that align with the First Amendment commitment that you were just talking about?”
Leavitt rebutted the reporter’s assertions by reiterating how she had been very clear that should the Trump administration feel as though outlets are pushing lies, they will hold such accountable.
“It is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that, but that is what it is,” insisted Leavitt.
She added, “The secretary of interior has made that the official designation in the geographical identification name server, and Apple has recognized that, Google has recognized that, pretty much every other outlet in this room has recognized that […] and it’s very important to this administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home, but also for the rest of the world.”
Trump’s order to change the region’s name came just over a month after he first made the public aware of his intention to do so. Video footage captured on January 7, 2025, by media outlet ABC, shows the moment the President addressed the press about the matter.
“We’re going to be announcing at a future date, pretty soon we’re going to change—because we do most of the work there and it’s ours—we’re going to be changing—sort of the opposite of Biden, where he’s closing everything up, essentially getting rid of 50 to 60 trillion dollars’ worth of assets—we’re gonna be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” announced Trump.
He also noted his belief in the new name having a “beautiful ring” to it, adding, “That covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America, what a beautiful name, and it’s appropriate, it’s appropriate.”
According to a YouTube post shared by Fox 5 Atlanta, weeks after his initial reflections on the name change, Trump declared February 9 to be Gulf of America Day.
Seated comfortably on a plane flying over the region, alongside two administration officials, Trump nodded along as one of them confirmed the validity of the change.
The official noted how the parties involved had already reached out to the necessary map providers ensuring that the declaration was followed.
Trump then proudly held up the executive order he signed for the media to capture the moment. Behind him was a photo of a map of the Gulf of Mexico with the words Gulf of America strewn across the poster.
A voice in the background could be heard asking Trump if he had spoken to Mexico about this change, to which he responded, “Actually, interestingly, I’ve never spoken to them about it. It was our call and I had not spoken to them about—I’ve spoken to them about many other things […] They’ve never brought it up, I’m a little surprised at that.”
