A human behaviour expert has had their say on the controversial footage of Donald Trump reacting to a plea made by the Bishop of Washington earlier this week about the LGBTQ+ community.
Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde begged the new 47th president of the United States to 'have mercy' on both queer individuals and immigrant families throughout his new term during a church service on Tuesday (21 January) - a clip of which has since gone viral online.
Budde's emotional plea
"Mr President, millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God," Budde addressed both Trump and his vice president JD Vance following their inauguration on Monday.
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Continuing the address the legislation, Budde went on to implore: "In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.
"There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and Independent families, some who fear for their lives."
Her plea came in response to the Trump and Vance signed off an executive order which states there are 'only two genders'.
The new policy also outlined: 'These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality', and vowed to bring to an end 'wasteful' government programmes which promote diversity and inclusivity.
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Elsewhere in the speech, Budde mentioned foreign-born Americans, following several promises Trump made about tightening immigration policies in the states.
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She asked the president: "And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labour in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals - they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals."
In a final plea, Budde begged Trump to 'have mercy on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away' and for the president to 'help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here'.
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Not only has Budde's courageous speech spread widely across social media, but it subsequently prompted speculation about how the presidential pair received her plea.
Viewers later accused the Republican leaders of both appearing to 'lack empathy' and 'not care' about the vital request being made, whilst one even branded Trump 'soulless'.
Among those to have since chimed in on the controversial discussion is body language expert Inbaal Honigman, who assessed the footage and now claims to know how Trump 'really felt' during the interaction.
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How did Trump really feel about the plea?
Speaking exclusively to Tyla on behalf of Covers, she explained of the president's dubious mannerisms: "When he and his family sit and listen, the new president stays still while the sermon mentions the LGBTQ+ community.
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"His shoulders slumped forward, his eye gazing ahead, his demeanour is neutral, neither engaged nor zoned out. He blinks rapidly, but this is the only sign that he's a little nervous, possibly wondering what else is coming."
Discussing his reaction to Budde's immigration plea, Honigman claimed that Trump's 'mask of neutrality cracks, and he shows his displeasure'.
“He gazes sideways, which is a hostile gesture, and he raises his cheek which signifies disgust," she added.
"Huffing quietly, his open mouth shows aggression, and he shuffles in his seat indicating how uncomfortable he is.
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“Eventually, the newly minted president looks away for a while, then downwards, breaking eye contact and effectively shielding himself from the speaker, before adopting his original, neutral stance again."
What did Trump say to JD Vance?
After the footage went viral, a lip-reader also claimed to have determined what Trump uttered to Vance following Budde's final plea.
Speaking to Tyla, licensed lip-reader Jeremy Freeman revealed he believes the president told his VP: "Can you believe it? ... Vile."
He went on to tell us that whilst he's unsure of the 'last word' spoken by Trump, he believes it 'closely matches what I saw - and the context'.
How has Trump since responded?
In the early hours of Wednesday (22 Jan) morning, Trump explicitly hit back at the Budde's comments, branding her both 'not compelling or smart' and claiming she 'owe[s] the public an apology' in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater," he began.
"She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.
"She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions.
"It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.
"Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!"
Topics: Celebrity, Donald Trump, Politics, US News, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+
Rhianna Benson