On Thursday evening, First Lady Melania Trump was honored by Fox Nation with their ‘Patriot of the Year’ award – and even though she attended solo without husband Donald Trump, it looks like his absence gave her a ‘boost,’ according to a body language expert.
Melania, 55, wowed the crowd with a seven-minute-long address in a stunning black, Carolina Herrera long-sleeve gown with a thigh-high split at the conservative-leaning network’s ceremony on Long Island.
Donald had stayed behind in Washington, D.C., to host the leaders of several Central Asian nations.
The Patriot of the Year award is presented to those ‘heroes and patriots who have shown unwavering dedication to the values that make our country great.’
During her speech, The First Lady, who emigrated from Slovenia, spoke with a passion about what makes America great.
Melania also paid tribute to the founders of the United States in the Revolutionary War, and praised the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, who she said ‘reinvented how things work,’ adding that ‘innovation is a form of patriotism.’
On a night that honored Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, Melania paid tribute to those who defy political correctness, urging those watching to ‘open their minds.’
She finished by asking the audience to make a ‘personal pledge to celebrate ambition and scale imagination to create a more advanced and prosperous society. Individual productivity is not selfish. It’s the heartbeat of civilization.’
On Thursday evening, First Lady Melania Trump was honored by Fox Nation with their ‘Patriot of the Year’ award – and even though she attended solo without her husband, President Donald Trump, it looks like his absence gave her a ‘boost,’ according to a body language expert
Donald Trump stayed behind in Washington, D.C., to host the leaders of several Central Asian nations
On a night that honored Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, Melania paid tribute to those who defy political correctness, urging those watching to ‘open their minds’
It was a big night for The First Lady, and according to body language expert Judi James, her husband’s absence didn’t seem to impact her negatively at all, as she seemed confident and addressed the audience ‘like a star in her own right.’
‘If Donald’s absence from this event affected his wife’s mood at all it was to boost rather than decrease her levels of visual confidence,’ James told Daily Mail exclusively.
‘Melania’s formal portrait that she chose for this second term as FLOTUS showed her looking like a CEO of a large company with her power dressing; her splayed arms as she stood at the top of a boardroom table, and a very challenging stare to show that, this time around she means business,’ James explained.
‘So it was fitting that this speech to accept her award reflected a very similar narrative in terms of basking in the solo attention, soaking up the ovation and addressing her audience like a star in her own right.’
James observed that The First Lady’s on-stage confidence came from three ‘key’ areas – the ‘pace, timing, and control rituals.’
She noticed how Melania used the stage as her own ‘catwalk’ when she arrived, and her ‘unhurried and elegant pace of walking came with a wave of acknowledgment to the audience.’
James also said that her handshake on stage with host Sean Hannity was one that showed a gesture of ‘soft control.’
‘She instigated the handshake with the host and even placed her right hand onto his back as they turned to face front in a leading gesture of soft control,’ James explained of her embrace with Hannity.
‘If Donald’s absence from this event affected his wife’s mood at all it was to boost rather than decrease her levels of visual confidence,’ James told Daily Mail exclusively
James observed that The First Lady’s on-stage confidence came from three ‘key’ areas – the ‘pace, timing, and control rituals’
James also said that her handshake on stage with host Sean Hannity was one that showed a gesture of ‘soft control’
‘There was no trace of any nervous flinch from Melania, who looked like a woman who was suffering not the smallest trace of any Imposter Syndrome or sense of being Donald’s “Spare” as she accepted the prestigious award,’ she explained.
Her body language during the speech was also one that was commanding.
‘Melania paused before speaking to control the room and her delivery was as unhurried as her deportment,’ James said.
‘When she delivered a small joke she used the professional speaker’s technique of glancing up and pausing to allow for the laughter,’ she noted.
‘Melania’s smile towards the audience looked like a friendly tie-sign of acknowledgement,’ she continued.
‘Her cheeks rounded and they sustained that shape as she delivered her speech to suggest pleasure to be there communicating.’
The body language expert explained that the way Melania communicates is quite different to that of her husband’s.
‘Melania is a very different speaker to her husband, who specializes in a spontaneous, often stream-of-consciousness, rambling delivery with jokes and asides,’ James told Daily Mail.
‘Melania paused before speaking to control the room and her delivery was as unhurried as her deportment,’ James said
The body language expert explained that the way Melania communicates is quite different to that of her husband’s
‘Melania is a very different speaker to her husband, who specializes in a spontaneous, often stream-of-consciousness, rambling delivery with jokes and asides,’ James told Daily Mail
‘She tends to stick to her script in a more formal style but here she used her eyes for punctuation, and it was a much more entertaining and personality-based style than her earlier speeches in office,’ she shared.
‘She looked very much like the right person in the right time at the right place and in the right spotlight at this prestigious event.’
In addition to Melania, Kirk and inspiring 13-year-old DJ Daniel were among the others honored at the awards show, which Fox has run since 2019.
Star host Sean Hannity was the master of ceremonies and Jason Aldean performed at the event in New York.
