Does President Trump leave too much space between himself and first lady Melania Trump when descending the steps of Air Force One? That’s a real question Huffington Post Lifestyle Editor Carly Ledbetter posed in a bizarre article published Wednesday, enlisting two separate body language experts in her efforts to come a conclusion.
“Though the president and Melania have descended the stairs together at the same speed a few times before ― and many other presidents haven’t always descended the stairs with their first lady,” Ledbetter wrote, “the incident is part of a larger pattern of the president’s body language and etiquette toward his wife.”
Both of Ledbetter’s experts agreed the distance Trump creates by descending the steps of Air Force One before his wife is improper, with one going so far as to say it “could be perceived as a sign of disrespect.”
The other expert noted, “the proper thing for him to do is to wait for his spouse at the bottom of the stairs and then take her hand and assist her down the last few steps as she comes down.”
Good to know.
For comparison, a Huffington Post blog on Barack and Michelle Obama’s body language referred to their interactions as a “gift” and a model of “a new kind of equality and respect,” declaring, “It’s heartening to see two people so authentically affectionate with each other that they can hug in public and have it look natural.”
Why the stair-spacing issue was so pressing as to warrant this detailed investigation remains unclear. But Ledbetter’s in-depth analysis was probably satisfying to liberal readers who salivate at any opportunity, no matter how desperate, to question the president’s character.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
