Body language expert shares 'stress indicators' to watch for during the debate

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

published 30 September 2020

As many as 100 million Americans could potentially tune in to watch Tuesday night's debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden — needless to say, the pressure is on. Scott Rouse, a body language expert, spoke to Politico's Mary Newman about what the candidates' give-away "stress indicators" are, and how to look for them during the debate when things start to get tough.

Rouse explained that when Trump begins to feel the pressure, he'll have his "arms close to him ... protecting the sides of his body, his chest, his heart, those types of things."

But don't look for those same tells in Biden — it's a "completely different story there." When the former VP gets stressed, "he'll slow down a little bit. But if he gets stressed and it's about something that he's right about, that's when he's gonna get loud, with the open-handed gestures, everything's open … and he gets those eyes open and gives you everything, 'here's the information I'm trying to give you.'"

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.