Body language expert analyzes Trump, Clinton
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- As the presidential nominees took the stage for the final debate Wednesday, Americans weren't just paying attention to what they were saying. Some were paying attention to the body language of the Donald Trump and Secretary Hillary Clinton.
"Because she's coached to be more smiley, there's times when that comes across as a little insincere," says body language expert Ryan Foley.
Secretary Clinton's quickness to smile in the first two debates have been mocked and spoofed aplenty.
Foley, the founder of Foley Learning, watched the debate with us in the studio.
"She's being more conservative when she uses her smiles. When does she use them? When Donald trump is going on a little bit, when he's being interrupted by the moderator. It's reinforcing, "Look there's Trump out of control again. It's more sincere."
Immediately, Foley noticed Donald Trump clenching his teeth as Clinton spoke. A classic sign of someone trying to relieve tension, he says. Another observation: Trump's posture. At one point early in the debate, he noticed the Republican nominee clenching the podium with each hand.
"If you're a public speaker, you never want to grab the podium like that because it can show arrogance. But because Trump has such a strong frame, very powerful, we're used to seeing him like that. We don't even notice."
He says watching these debates can be a crash course in body language do's and don'ts. Like what to do with your hands.
"Putting his palms out like that is a power move. It says what I'm saying, you can believe in, you can trust, I mean it."
But he says if you pull plays out of Trump's body language playbook in a business meeting, for example, save the power moves for the biggest points you want to drive home.
You can check out the video below for more of Ryan Foley's body language observations from the debates, and tips for the everyday person not running for President.
