A body language expert known as Do More Stuff on TikTok recently shared “unethical” tricks US President Donald Trump allegedly uses to assert dominance over his supporters and opponents.
Referring to communications specialist Vanessa Van Edwards, the body language expert, in a recent video posted to his TikTok handle, said that the POTUS allegedly uses “a secret psychological hack” to “mug everyone around him in every single public appearance.”
“There is a secret psychological hack that Trump uses to mug everyone around him in every single public appearance, and most people completely miss it, but it’s literally hidden in plain sight, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it,” he said, according to The Express.
The TikToker described the first tactic, which Van Edwards called “the ultimate power pose combination,” saying it relates to the President’s seated body language that conveys he “own[s] the room.”
“When Trump sits, he doesn’t just sit normally like everyone else. He spreads his legs wide, he takes up maximum space, and he does this reverse steeple thing with his hands. This is basically his brain’s way of saying ‘I own this room,'” he explained.
Trump adds a black scarf to his wardrobe.
No President had dripped harder. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gUJPnAy8A0
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) January 16, 2026
The second tactic, the expert described as “the kicker for maximum domination,” related to handshakes. According to the TikToker, Trump has “mastered” what Van Edwards called “spatial control.” He explained that the 79-year-old “pulls people towards him” during handshakes, “violates everyone’s personal space boundaries,” and “holds the handshakes for longer than normal.”
Describing the president’s hand position during a handshake, the expert said he “always tries to get his hand on top,” calling it “immature.” “And if you watch his hand positioning, he always tries to get his hand on top, which again is so immature, but Van Edwards says this is a classic vertical power display,” he added.
Trump tried his pull in handshake on Putin.
One of the most anticipated handshakes ever. pic.twitter.com/d0itzcvsjK
— Unpack With Jack Mac (@UnpackJackMac) August 15, 2025
Beyond the first two dominance tactics, the president uses a third technique called “the power pout,” which involves facial expressions, the expert alleged.
Calling the third tactic the US president’s “signature power move,” the TikToker explained that when Trump hears something he doesn’t like, he purses his lips forward. “It’s like he’s about to give someone a kiss,” to signal “disapproval and rejection non-verbally,” he added.
“So, even before he speaks, his face is already telling you exactly how he feels. This can be perceived as a power play, because, instead of interrupting like he usually does, he can just sit there in the background with this face on, and, whether consciously or subconsciously, he’s mugging the other person in front of all of the audience,” Do More Stuff said.
He further cited Van Edwards, who explained that Trump’s “power cut pout” can reveal stress leakage. Explaining stress leakage, he added: “Basically, your body is betraying what you’re really thinking,” he said. “Lots of people have nervous twitches, some people fidget, some people scratch somewhere, Trump’s is the pout.”
