A researcher, while studying the body language of right-wing political figures, has deciphered why Donald Trump loves to point his finger at people. A professor of linguistics at Lancaster University in the UK, Christopher Hart figured out the meaning behind the President’s gestures, citing the lack of analysis of non-verbal cues of politicians as the motive for his undertaking the study.
Speaking to HuffPost, Hart admitted that Trump was “an obvious place to start” given his interest in the “gestural performances” of right-wing political figures.
While admitting that Donald Trump wasn’t the “only politician to make use of pointing gestures,” the researcher and professor disclosed that he was “surprised” by how “frequently” Trump resorted to it. Hart revealed that the “live setting of a campaign rally” seemed to invoke the desire to point within him.
The Famous Finger Point: A Thread of Individuals that Trump has called out for being Traitors to America and/or Pedophiles through pointing the finger at them. pic.twitter.com/rS1nwCOLSO
— Prometheus (@AndrewGraf_17) December 1, 2024
“I am interested in the gestural performances of right-wing populists specifically, so Trump was an obvious place to start. Trump is not the only politician to make use of pointing gestures, but I was surprised at just how frequently he points. There is something about the live setting of the campaign rally that seems to invite a density of pointing gestures for him,” Christopher Hart said.
Hart, citing an hour-long recording of a 2016 presidential campaign rally in Buffalo, New York, analyzed Donald Trump’s gestures as he spoke to a crowd of 11,000 people who had thronged to hear him speak at his home state.
The analysis revealed that when Trump pointed outwards (away from his body), he was either referring to those who had gathered to witness his rally or to his opponents/political enemies.
When Donald Trump points at the crowd, he’s directly engaging with them and drawing them into his fold. And when he’s pointing at his critics (media or protesters who made it into the crowd), he’s singling them out of scorn.
Xmas eve publication: What’s the Point of Donald Trump? Deictic Gestures in the Service of Right-Wing Populism. In Social Semiotics. Open access too! https://t.co/ybutmPaS70
— Christopher Hart (@_chris_hart) December 24, 2024
Christopher Hart figured out that Trump is pointing all the time, even when he isn’t giving a speech.
“He does it to great effect, either as a show of appreciation toward individual audience members or as part of theatrical routines, like pointing to the top of an imagined border wall,” said Hart.
Christopher Hart also believes that Donald Trump’s experience in the entertainment world, especially his guest appearances on WWE, influenced his gestures and behavior.
“The way he points and singles out audience members is definitely characteristic of live entertainment. He’s including himself with the audience, as a man of the people,” the researcher said.
Hart added, “The way Trump uses pointing gestures breaks with the ways politicians normally communicate, making for an energized and entertaining performance. That’s a large part of his appeal.”
