Why Trump ‘avoids’ holding his wife’s hand in public

Donald and Melania Trump were seen in a seemingly awkward hand-hold on Friday in what was the First Lady’s first public appearance since her husband inauguration. And according to a body language expert, the brief exchange may be down to the US President’s desire to be seen as an alpha leader. The incident occurred on Friday when Trump and the First-Lady arrived at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida to visit his Mar-A-Lago resort. The couple held hands as they stepped off Air Force One, only for the president to break the hold to clap well-wishers and then gently pat his wife’s hand away when she reached it towards his. According to a body language expert Patti Wood, the exchange gives an insight into the president’s state of mind.Typically a hand-hold shows a couple as a unit,’ she told the Mail Online. ‘But to me, I think he’s been saying, “I want to be seen as the president on my own”, which is very much alpha. “I want to be just the powerful me.” And it’s clear that that’s his choice.’

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