President Donald Trump and “First Buddy” Elon Musk’s viral joint press conference in the Oval Office on Tuesday could not have gone better—at least according to one body language expert.
As Musk talked robotically at length about uncovering alleged government “waste”—and his four-year-old son X Æ A-Xii squirmed and at one point shushed Trump—political pundits declared Trump had been humiliated.
“Most powerless image ever,” declared MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell. But forensic psychiatrist Carole Lieberman, MD, claims they have it all wrong.
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“Some people have said that they thought Elon was in control of the press conference because Elon was standing and, therefore, taller than Trump,” she explained. “But Trump purposely sat at the president’s desk, the most important spot in the room.”
According to Lieberman, Trump’s body language was very “self-contained.” She added, “He didn’t make many movements. He was calm and focused on the main topic, which was D0GE.”
As Trump endorsed the Department of Government Efficiency’s work and confirmed that he would be signing an executive order to give Musk more power to trim the federal workforce, he allowed Musk to explain the details.
“Both knew that most of the criticism of DOGE was directed at Elon after Trump appointed him to head it,” Lieberman said.
“Elon Musk’s main movements involved his hands spreading apart and coming together to appropriately underline what he was saying,” Lieberman said. “When his hands were apart, it signified his being open to considering options.”
At one point, Lieberman said Musk’s fingers touching, called “steepling,” signified his “coming to a conclusion and emphasizing a strong point.”
Lieberman added that Musk kept “looking at Trump for approval, which is another sign of Trump being in control.”
As to why Musk brought along his son, “Trump seems to have been aware of Elon’s anxiety, which may also explain why he allowed him to have his son X with him, as a kind of ’emotional support,” Lieberman said. She wagered that Musk is mostly likely used to speaking in situations where he is the boss and “not facing national scrutiny or criticism.”
Like his father, X also “made the most intriguing body movements,” said Lieberman, “from clambering up onto his father’s shoulder and head to exploring his own nose.”
Elon’s choice of dress and X’s attendance “made [the meeting] more casual than how important it actually was.”
Lieberman also remarked on Trump’s reaction to X.
“President Trump was sometimes affectionately amused by X, but eventually he was less so, as he saw the audience being distracted by X’s behavior,” Lieberman said.
She added, “He may well tell Elon not to bring his son to the Oval Office when such important subjects are being discussed in the future.”
