Melania's horror as Donald Trump struggles to contain his rage in near-diplomatic meltdown
Melania's horror as Donald Trump struggles to contain his rage in near-diplomatic meltdown
Hannah Broughton Fri, September 25, 2026 at 12:32 PM UTC
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This striking photo of Trump is already going viral online (Image: Getty Images)
An unexpected moment appears to show Trump exhibiting "controlled anger" while Melania "looks concerned," according to one body language expert.
The highly unusual image of President Trump and first lady Melania surfaced on Thursday, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the U.S. Sean Johns, Non-Verbal Intelligence Expert & Founder at BodyLytics, gave his expert opinion on the story behind the striking picture.
"Trump's lips are compressed, there's slight tension in his jaw, and he's leaning slightly forward. He's showing controlled anger. I say controlled anger because the jaw tension is not strong and his eyes are focused but still not squinting," said Johns.
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Meanwhile, Johns adds, "Melania looks concerned. My take is that this is a moment they didn't expect to be photographed."
The photograph, which was made public on Getty Images, was shared online by The America First Policy Institute, which stated it was an "incredible photo." Journalist Aaron Rupar also responded, pointing out that Trump "looks absolutely terrible."
"Oh, America. I'm so sorry you've been reduced to... whatever the hell that is," another person commented, while another said, "Hang it in the Louver."
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The remarkably odd photograph shows Trump standing between a worried-looking Melania and a vacant-looking President Xi Jinping. It follows the Chinese leaders' much-anticipated state visit to the U.S., which bore many dramatic moments, including when the president was photographed allegedly screaming at a Marine One pilot.
After being taken to view the National Archives on Friday, Xi is expected to depart Washington and return to China. The visit, which was criticized by some Republicans and Democrats, comes as the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
"Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party," said Republican Sen. Roger Wicker.
On Thursday night, the Trumps hosted a lavish state dinner for Xi and his wife, which was also attended by the world's biggest tech CEOs. Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg were all seen mixing with guests at the dinner.
While the Trump administration was focused on making the visit as luxurious as possible, a large group of protesters gathered outside the White House.
Trump and Melania welcomed the Chinese leader and his wife this week (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The protesters championed various causes, ranging from appeals for religious freedom and expanded liberties in Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang to calls to prevent China's involvement in the self-governing region of Taiwan.
Demonstrations targeting visiting Chinese officials are hardly unprecedented - in 2006, a protester interrupted Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao during a White House welcoming event - but Xi has emerged as the target of criticism for his aggressive strategy toward strengthening authority over Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and other territories and the Chinese military's increasing intimidation of Taiwan, which he insists must fall under Chinese control.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
