Body Language Expert Tells Us Biden Couldn't Hide Stress Over Debate Backlash In ABC Interview

The 2024 presidential race got off to a rocky start on June 27 with the first debate between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden on CNN. Critics were quick to point out the president's raspy and hoarse voice, which left many voters worried about Biden's health and ability to run. Following his poor performance, Biden sat down with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos to address the backlash he received. 

Fraud-Busting Body Language Expert Traci Brown, CSP exclusively shared with The List that despite his best efforts, Biden couldn't quite hide the stress he was feeling in his ABC News interview. When Stephanopoulos asked the president if the debate was just a "bad episode" or an indication of his declining health, Biden admitted it was a singular moment where he was just exhausted. Brown says this lack of a proper explanation is troubling, and while he seems to be all smiles, the body language expert believes he has just been well-trained. She says, "Someone has trained him to look alert and checked in. Yet we still saw the vacant stare when he was asked a couple of questions."

President Joe Biden tried to explain his raspy voice at the 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump by admitting he was sick prior to taking the stage and didn't rest like he should have. "I didn't listen to my instincts, in terms of preparing," Biden told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in his July 5 interview. But when Stephanopoulos asked Biden why six days of rest at Camp David wasn't enough, he said it was because he had a cold. Body language expert Traci Brown, CSP shared with The List that discussing his health brought on a lot of stress for President Biden, because you can see "his blink rate increases."

Brown also pointed out that Biden was slurring his words, and says, "When he says it was a 'bad night,' one side of his mouth is in a slight smile, the other is in a frown so he's very conflicted about his answer." Brown says this is a sign that Biden has "more to say" on the subject, but is withholding. One of the biggest complaints against the president was that he was showing signs of cognitive decline, which Brown says he is attempting to hide in the ABC News interview. However, she says, "[T]he signs are leaking out." It could be that the stress exhibited in his body language is directly linked to Biden holding back and "not being upfront on the depth of the problem."

There is another 2024 presidential debate scheduled for September, so hopefully both candidates have enough time to rest and deliver a better performance than before.