Donald Trump is "losing nimbleness with age" — and adapting to this with a new Air Force One ritual, a body language expert said Monday.
Judi James told The Mirror US that the president is apparently preparing himself each time he needs to walk down the steps of the presidential aircraft. Trump has been spotted in some video clips slapping his right leg before making the walk down the stairs.
James said, "The slapping gesture could actually be a form of reminder or self-motivational ritual from Trump to himself to get into this state of temporary concentration needed to take the stairs well. It could be a prepping gesture for a man whose natural inclination would be to showboat a little or wave on arrival."
The body language expert went on to say the plane steps were a "minefield" for world leader's of Trump's age, with the president's predecessor, Joe Biden, once stumbling up the steps of Air Force One.
James continued, "Plane steps have always been a minefield for leaders like Trump and he is a big guy who is probably losing some of his nimbleness with age, like we all do."
"It also looks like it could be a form of celebratory ritual, a kind of one-handed clapping as he gets to arrive 'home' to spend Christmas. It could be done to signal enjoyment and even happiness publicly."
Trump was seen earlier this week struggling down the Air Force One steps. Critics of the president were quick to point out the strange manner in which his slowly meandered down the stairs while grabbing onto his right leg.
There has also been ongoing commentary into Trump's cognitive health, with some believing the president to be in rapid decline. Dr. John Gartner believes the three Montreal Cognitive Assessments is to monitor an existing condition that could indicate just how rapid the president's cognitive decline is.
He claimed, "You know, he kind of gave the game away again, as he often does. You could maybe justify giving someone the MoCA once, just on their age, just as part of a physical. If you’re giving it to him three times, that means you’re not assessing dementia. That means you’re monitoring dementia."
"Because if you keep feeling like, no, he’s still got the symptoms, we’ve got to see how bad he’s doing now, we’ve got to check again, see how bad he’s doing now—I think they’re giving him cognitive tests and M.R.I.s every six months to monitor the progress of his dementia, and/or strokes."
