Donald Trump and Nicki Minaj are both bathing in a pool of mutual adoration, a body language expert has claimed in the wake of their internet-breaking handholding stunt.
The unlikely duo stunned audiences around the globe after the 43-year-old rapper, dressed in a furry white coat, clutched onto the 79-year-old president’s hand as she joined him on stage Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The bizarre headline-making event also saw the duo air kiss as they greeted each other and publicly gush about their support.
Upon analyzing their astonishing interaction, body language expert Judi James determined that Trump is blown away by Minaj’s support and that they appear to have a close friendship.
According to James, both of their high praise for each other matched their body language and she notes that their touch rituals were ‘off the scale for the president.’
‘Does the body language match up to all the verbal flattery? In many ways, it does,’ she said.
‘Trump claps her onto the stage and throws his arms out in a mimed hug before stretching his hand out, palm up and thumb splayed, for a shake that he converts into a hand sandwich, placing his other hand on top of hers to register warmth and extending the clasp while he chats, patting her hand as he does so.
‘He seems to want to suggest a form of gentlemanly respect here and his beaming, “bullfrog smile” as she praises him suggests he totally gets the value of her support.
‘There is even a moment when Trump leans forward to either plant an air-kiss on Nicki’s left cheek or to whisper something in her ear to suggest close friendship.’
In the aftermath of the spectacle some questioned whether Minaj’s widened-eyed glance signaled something sinister between herself and Trump.
But for James, the Grammy winner was simply transfixed by the president, whom she holds in such high regard.
‘He clasps her hand to lead her to the lectern and it’s at this point where Nicki appears to throw a widened-eye glance to the audience before she goes to speak that could be read as cynical and humorous, but when she speaks the body language aligns with the words to suggest she is in awe to be meeting her hero,’ James said.
‘Their hand clasp returns as they join each other at the end of her speech and the way her fingers with the incredible nails are curled around Trump’s hand suggests this is a mutual admiration society at work.’
During the on-stage spectacle, Trump praised Minaj for investing hundreds of thousands into accounts for her supporters’ children.
She also returned the compliments and told the crowd from the podium in the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium: ‘I am probably the president’s number one fan. And that’s not going to change.’
Minaj also said any hate towards Trump motivates her and his backers to support him even more.
She continued: ‘We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him, and, you know, the smear campaigns – it’s not going to work, OK?
‘He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen?’
Trump leaned over and said off mic to the rapper: ‘That is so nice, thank you.’
Minaj sat beside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz at the event in a frigid and still-snow-littered DC.
Trump also joked about Minaj’s long acrylic nails and that he was inspired to grow his own nails out.
‘I just think she’s great,’ he said. ‘You know, I’ve been hearing so much over the years because I didn’t know Nicki and I’ve been hearing over the years, she’s a big Trump supporter, a Trump fan, and she took a little heat on occasion.’
‘Her community isn’t necessarily – I’ll tell ya – we did pretty damn well with your community, as we say,’ he added. ‘But Nicki has been an unbelievable supporter.’
