When Donald Trump shakes hands he frequently pats the other person on the top of their hand. One couldn’t help noticing this when he met Shinzo Abe, because during the 19 seconds that they were shaking hands, Trump managed to pat the Japanese prime minister’s hand no less than six times. Patting someone’s hand in this way pretends to be an affectionate gesture of approval, but its real purpose is to remind the other person who’s actually in charge. It’s what psychologists call a “status reminder”.

Another way that Trump reminds people of his superior status is by patting them on the arm or back during or after the handshake, and if the other person is so bold as to pat him back, he trumps them by producing an additional, terminal pat. Trump instinctively understands the rules governing patting – which are that the more important person reserves the right to pat the less important person, and if mutual patting occurs, has the right to execute the final pat.

But the most peculiar thing about Trump’s handshake style is his habit of pushing people away or, more commonly, pulling them towards him during the handshake. The news clips are full of examples of Trump pumping people’s hands and then yanking them towards him. We’ve seen him do this with his colleagues, visiting dignitaries and golfing buddies. There’s even a shot of him yanking Neil Gorsuch’s arm so violently during a handshake that the poor unsuspecting judge momentarily loses his balance.

Well, whatever, the reason for his awkward "bro shake", its hilarious to watch.

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Source: TheGuardian.com

Date Posted: Thursday, February 16th, 2017 , Total Page Views: 1740