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Christopher Hart, a linguistics professor at Lancaster University, noticed something early on about Donald Trump. The man loves to point. And that little gesture packs a big punch with his followers. Trump isn’t like most politicians. He’s a showman — reality TV made sure of that — and at rallies, he mixes words with movement. The finger-pointing isn’t random. He points to friends, to foes, to himself, even to the sky during a solar eclipse. At a 2018 White House event, he pointed toward Hope Hicks, his then–outgoing press secretary. On the debate stage with Hillary Clinton in 2016, he pointed right at her. It was a kind of “can you believe this person?” move. Trump’s finger is as much a part of his act as his voice. Hart finds it fascinating. “I am interested in the gestural performances of right-wing populists specifically, so Trump was an obvious place to start,” Hart told HuffPost. In a new study published in Social Semiotics, Hart analyzed a 2016 campaign rally in Buffalo, New York. He found out that Trump points more than once per minute. That’s a lot. 1) Pay attention to where Trump points when he tells us the “important man” is here. pic.twitter.com/yLCXHeaV9s — MAGABrittany (@paintsaints) November 10, 2024 “Trump is not the only politician to make use of pointing gestures, but I was surprised at just how frequently he points,” Hart said. “There is something about the live setting of the campaign rally that seems to invite a density of pointing gestures for him.” More than 11,000 people attended that rally. Every time Trump pointed out to the crowd — the “you” — he pulled them closer. When he jabbed at the media or protesters — the “them” — he turned them into the enemy. “He does it to great effect,” Hart said. “Either as a show of appreciation toward individual audience members or as part of theatrical routines, like pointing to the top of an imagined border wall.” And the crowd loves it. Trump’s flair for finger-pointing didn’t come out of nowhere. Before “The Apprentice,” he was a regular at WWE events, where grand gestures — head-licking, head-shaving, all of it — are part of the show. “The way he points and singles out audience members is definitely characteristic of live entertainment,” Hart said. “He’s including himself with the audience, as a man of the people.” When Trump points at himself, it signals sincerity — a “believe me” moment. When he points down to “this country” or “Buffalo,” he ties his message to the place right under his feet. It might seem small, but pointing is part of how Trump built his following. “The way Trump uses pointing gestures breaks with the ways politicians normally communicate, making for an energized and entertaining performance,” Hart said. “That’s a large part of his appeal.” Donald Trump pointing his finger at … Zelenskyy, https://t.co/ihcV9383pB pic.twitter.com/BST5ryPNmc — Future_Proves_Past (@Lieven Brekel) (@future_proves) February 28, 2025 Most politicians, Hart explained, stick to a “restricted gestural code.” You’ve seen it — the tight, measured hand movements, the infamous “thist” (thumb over a clenched fist). It’s supposed to show confidence and control. But it can also look stiff, fake, and miles away from how regular people actually talk. Hart says that’s a mistake. “Stiff body language is not the case for populist politicians whose gestures seem to be more spontaneous, conversational in style and genuinely charismatic,” he said. “They often reflect, albeit in an exaggerated form, the way ordinary people interact. It’s part of the populist playbook.” Trump isn’t the only one doing it. Hart points to another famous finger-pointer: Boris Johnson. And while Hart doesn’t mention it, maybe big blond hair helps, too.
