KAMALA Harris put on a “brave face” during her concession speech on Wednesday, but a “red flag” tic gave her away, a body language expert has revealed.
Vice President Harris conceded the presidential election at her former college in Washington DC on Wednesday, following a blowout defeat to Republican Donald Trump.
Now body language expert Darren Stanton has revealed to The U.S. Sun what Harris’ behavior on stage tells us about her thoughts and feelings following Tuesday’s results.
Stanton, a retired UK police officer with 15 years of experience as a body language and behavioral expert, shared how Harris’ mannerisms during her speech at Howard University differed from those of Trump.
He explained how Harris walked on stage looking “confident,” taking “big strides” – but there was a sign that revealed her true feelings.
“Some way into this speech I noticed that her voice began to crack and break, and this to me is a red flag for a sudden shift in her internal emotion,” Stanton said.
“Emotion was getting the better of her, and we kind of saw what we call a micro-expression, which is a fleeting flash of the real emotion of sadness.
“So we saw the eyebrows come together. We saw the mouth begin to droop very slightly.
“She was fighting back the tears,” he added.
Stanton also brought up a common gesture made by Donald Trump which distinguishes him from Harris.
The “reverse steeple” gesture, or joining the hands in a point facing downwards, is a gesture Stanton says Trump makes a lot, particularly when sitting down.
Whereas the “steeple gesture,” joining the hands facing upwards, is a common quiet but “authoritative” piece of body language, the “reverse steeple” is a sign of more outgoing confidence, he explained.
“This is saying, ‘I’m the most important man here. I’m super confident,'” he said.
“That’s the main distinction between Trump and Harris. She’s more humble.
“I think she carries a lot more humility, whereas Donald Trump is a lot more verbose and a lot more outgoing.”
Stanton, who in his career as a cop had to learn to read the small tics of criminals, said that voters can pick up on “authenticity” in politicians.
“The electorate like people that are grounded,” he said. “That are down to earth, that are authentic, and that speak from the heart.”
Stanton added that Donald Trump has appeared to have toned down some of his character traits since 2016.
“I think I saw quite a different style with Trump on Tuesday night,” he said.
“I don’t think he was as loud or as brash as he was in the 2016 election.
“I think we’ve seen a toned-down version, a watered-down version, and I think that resonated with voters a little bit more.”
On Wednesday evening, a couple of hours after Harris spoke, her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz broke his silence.
Thanking Harris for “putting your faith in me,” Walz added, “While the outcome is not what we wanted, I am grateful to the millions of Americans who joined our campaign.”
The Republicans secured a stunning victory, securing their first majority in the popular vote in 20 years.
Trump expanded his coalition, increasing support among groups he previously performed worse with.
His share of Hispanic voters jumped from 35% four years ago to 41% in 2024, while Catholic voters also swung behind Trump.
On Thursday morning, President Joe Biden addressed the nation for the first time since the election.
Speaking from the White House, Biden said he had spoken with president-elect Trump to congratulate him, and added that he had assured him of “a peaceful and orderly transition.”
He also defended his record, boasting of delivering America’s strongest economy.
This despite the fact that economic dissatisfaction was one of the biggest factors in votes for Trump.
The Democrats are soul-searching following the large-scale defeat to Trump, with some claiming the party has drifted too far from its base.
Some accused the party of abandoning its working-class supporters in favor of celebrities and the elite.
