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Cross-party comparisons are getting weirder and weirder, as one Trump-supporting comedian contrasted the president's sitting style to that of other high-profile Democrats. Adam Carolla took to X last week and uploaded photos of Trump, former President Barack Obama, and California Governor Gavin Newsom sitting down. In the photos, Obama and Newsom were pictured neatly crossing their legs, while Trump spread his knees wide in a classic 'manspread.' Corolla insinuated that their sitting postures spoke to a perceived power and masculinity imbalance between the men. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., even reposted Carolla's observation in a since-expired Instagram story, Huff Post reported. Trump supporters chimed in to add their own thoughts on the lounging choices of the president's opponents. 'The way Obama crosses his legs tells you everything you need to know about him,' one commenter wrote. 'You never caught my father crossing his leg... It was an impossibility,' another added. 'They don't make them like that anymore.' Several commenters said that leg crossing was inherently feminine, driving home an idea that feminine people do not make effective leaders. 'Trump 2.0 is the return of masculinity in our feminized culture,' one observer wrote. 'I personally don't know a single man that sits with his legs crossed,' another added. Experts say body language in general can communicate messages of strength or weakness. One Stanford professor claimed that people judge competency based 55 percent on body language. Husson University reported that confident people tend to take up more space, arguing that people are more likely to follow someone that opens up their stance while addressing others. Several commenter replied to Carolla's post with photos of the president comfortably sitting with his legs crossed. The wide-leg approach has its drawbacks, however. The term 'manspreading' was coined as a critique for a man who 'intrudes on the space of others' in public, per Merriam-Webster. Some have called the stance rude and careless.
