Tone and Body Language at the Harris-Trump Debate Speak as Loudly as Words

By Jeff Mason

As the high-stakes debate in Philadelphia began on Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris made her way across the stage to greet former President Donald Trump.

"Kamala Harris," she introduced herself, shaking his hand for the first time. This handshake was noteworthy as it was something Trump and her predecessor, Joe Biden, had not done during their previous meeting in June.

Throughout the debate, both candidates leaned on body language, tone, and demeanor rather than just policy discussions to convey their messages. Body language expert Mark Bowden described Harris’ initiative to engage Trump in a handshake as a "power move," noting that he seemed unprepared for it.

Harris maintained an expressive demeanor, frequently raising her eyebrows, laughing, and reacting with disbelief as Trump spoke. Her team quickly circulated these moments on social media. She challenged Trump’s statements, declaring some to be "not true."

In contrast, Trump often wore a serious expression, occasionally smiling with pursed lips or shaking his head. He responded to Harris’ assertions by accusing her of dishonesty, stating at one point, "There she goes again. It’s a lie."

Both candidates raised their voices during the debate, with Harris often turning to face Trump directly, at times appearing to admonish him. Meanwhile, Trump mostly focused forward while speaking.

"Their approaches were very different," noted behavioral scientist Abbie Marono. "He did not engage with her directly when speaking… She appeared somewhat antagonistic, balancing that with emotional responsiveness."

At one point, Trump attempted to flip the script on Harris when she interrupted him, telling her to wait because he was speaking. He linked it to her previous debate with then Vice President Mike Pence, whom she admonished for a similar interruption.

Harris frequently returned to her key talking points, emphasizing policies related to housing and small businesses while urging voters to "turn the page" on Trump.

"She seems to have memorized her lines," commented Lillian Glass, a body language expert, suggesting that Harris appeared somewhat inauthentic. "Her delivery is staccato."

Trump’s aggressive debate style has had mixed outcomes in the past. His personal attacks helped secure the nomination in 2016 but backfired during his 2020 debates against Biden, which led to viewer exhaustion.

In the June debate against Biden, Trump adopted a more disciplined demeanor, particularly as concerns about Biden’s age were front and center.

During the recent debate, Trump refrained from extensive personal attacks on Harris, focusing more on her policies. However, he continued to target Biden, prompting Harris to remind him, "You’re not running against Joe Biden; you’re running against me."

Harris also sought to provoke Trump by discussing rallies, an issue that tends to irk him. Trump responded with a false claim that she was paying attendees to come to her events.

"She is clearly trying to get under his skin. He has difficulty controlling himself. You can see when she throws something out there, he grabs it and goes off on tangents," remarked Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of a political action committee focused on Black voter mobilization.

At the conclusion of the debate, both candidates, dressed in dark suits adorned with American flag pins, walked off the stage without shaking hands once more.