Melania Trump has been the First Lady of the United States for nearly four years. With Donald Trump’s term coming to an end, he has been running once again as the Republican presidential candidate.
Body language expert Judi James compared the First Lady at speeches made during a Republican National Convention in 2016 and 2020.
Judi told Express.co.uk: “First impressions or the attribution effect are vital in the worlds of both business and politics and it is obvious from Melania’s walk-on moment in 2020 that she wants to be seen as a very different, more assertive woman from the one who took the stage at the 2016 convention.”
Melania previously worked as a model and will often show off her love of fashion and designer looks.
Judi suggested she channeled some of this glamour during her appearances four years ago.
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The expert continued: “Melania does statement dressing, using her style of tailoring as an announcement signal. Back in 2016 the statement was all about ethereal, fairy-story glamour.
“Announced on stage by her husband she was a vision in gleaming white, with puff-ball sleeves and a pencil skirt, the perfect, film-star-looking wife to her alpha male husband.”
At the time Melania focused on charming her audiences by painting an “idyllic” picture, Judi suggested.
She said: “Melania mirrored Trump’s mimed embrace and even appeared to guide his hands to her waist for the greeting kiss. Her speech painted idyllic images, from her ‘wonderful’ parents, her ‘beautiful’ home country, her ‘incredible’ sister and her ‘amazing leader’ husband.
While the differences can be noticed in Melania’s styling and approach, Judi claimed she does not appear to have changed much in terms of the speaking techniques she uses.
“Underneath the military, assertive posturing there is very little that has changed in Melania’s verbal and non-verbal techniques, though,” the expert revealed.
“Her high wave to the audience and her trait of directing her words at them rather than at the camera does suggest she has realized her own popularity and ability to bond with them directly.
“However, if anything she actually looks slightly more nervous at times and takes less ownership of her script.”
Melania Trump: Five facts about the USA’s First Lady
Languages
Mum-of-one Melania can speak more languages than any other First Lady before her: English, French, German, Italian, Serbian and of course her mother tongue, Slovenian.
This also makes her the only First Lady whose first language is not English.
Religion
After Jacqueline Kennedy, Melania is the second First Lady who is a practising Catholic.
She met Pope Francis as part of a foreign tour with her husband and stepdaughter Ivanka.
Career
Melania was a successful model, posing for Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ.
Her skills aren’t confined to print, and she appeared in a commercial for Aflac, an American insurance company, in 2005.
Family
Melania’s parents are Amalija Knavs and Viktor Knavs, and the couple live together in Washington.
She has one sister, Ines, who is reported to live in New York and work as an artist.
Charity
On May 7 2018, Melania launched her flagship campaign as First Lady, BE BEST, which The White House describes as “an awareness campaign focused entirely around the well-being of children”.
There are three main strands to the initiative: well-being, social media, and opioid abuse.