A body language expert has weighed in on Melania Trump’s demeanor during a high-profile military parade on Saturday, held in honor of President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the American Army.
The First Lady, 55, turned heads in a crisp white pinstripe power skirt suit, while her husband wore his trademark navy suit, white shirt, and red tie. The ceremony, staged outside the White House, featured patriotic displays, military pageantry, and one rare sight: Melania and Donald holding hands in public.
Despite the affectionate gesture and Melania’s warm smile throughout the event, body language expert Judi James told DailyMail that the First Lady’s non-verbal cues indicated possible unease. “Her left hand seems to perform a small ritual that suggests inner tension, or she lifts it to preen her hair as it wafts in the breeze,” James noted. “When Trump is seated, it looks like another day in the White House office.”
James contrasted Melania’s “wide, Duchenne smile” with Donald’s more reserved expression. “His smile is the lip-clamped, acknowledging version, and his posture slumps as he rests his elbows on his thighs and splays his knees with his hands forming a downward steeple gesture,” she explained.
She also observed Melania as appearing “more rigid” than her husband, almost mimicking the military formality of Pete Hegseth, who sat on Trump’s other side. However, when Donald spoke to her, Melania, his wife of 20 years, “becomes more animated, leaning quickly sideways to listen and smile.”
The parade took an unexpected turn when a photo of the president apparently dozing off went viral. Circulated widely on X (formerly Twitter), the image showed Trump seated with his eyes closed as the parade continued, fueling ridicule online.
“Trump was seen falling asleep at his own birthday military parade,” one user posted. Another mocked, “It was past his bedtime.” Others were harsher: “This mutha sucka couldn’t even stay awake at his empty birthday parade. Chile, bye!” and “So disrespectful of the US Military. Disgrace.”
Beyond the optics of the parade itself, the event was overshadowed by mass protests across the country, many under the banner “No Kings”, denouncing what they called Trump’s authoritarian tendencies. A giant eight-foot effigy of Trump sitting on a toilet became a focal point of demonstration near the parade site.
Meanwhile, global tensions intensified as Trump warned of retaliation “at levels never seen before” if Iran targets the U.S., distancing himself from recent violence. Overnight missile exchanges between Iran and Israel left at least nine dead and over 100 injured, stoking fears of a wider conflict.