Key change in Donald Trump's victory speech compared to 8 years ago speaks volumes

Despite a selection of alarming comments made during his rallies and controversial policy pledges, one body language expert believes Trump is "much" changed compared to 2016

Donald Trump's speech declaring victory over Kamala Harris in the US presidential elections showed he is "much" changed compared to eight years ago, an expert has claimed.

Mr Trump became the formal President-Elect this morning in a major upset already being judged as one of the most significant comebacks in US political history. He will return to the Oval Office in January 2025 after waging a fierce campaign grounded on misinformation, division, and later outright racism.

The Republican candidate put a different foot forward while speaking to supporters after declaring himself the winner, however, appearing more calm and thanking family members while hailing his "movement". A body language expert has claimed that his delivery showed "several very telling non-verbal and behavioural" traits that suggest he may approach his next term as a less combative president.

Speaking to Paddy Power, Judi James said Mr Trump's "auto-coronation" speech delivered before he was formally confirmed as President-Elect showed he was "much" changed compared to 2016. She said: “This act of auto-coronation by Trump revealed several very telling non-verbal and behavioural traits that could hint about his style during his second term as president.

“The bragging and the bombastic posturing that were so visible during his first term were still in place, only much less so than before.” Ms James added that, while Mr Trump had previously appeared as a "silverback", he now seemed more like a "warmer, family man" on the stage.

She said: "Trump’s first act as he reached the lectern was to turn to watch his family members file past him with a beaming smile. His body language message here is about his dynasty but also about the projection of a warmer, family man that was first glimpsed on stage just after his attempted assassination.

"Last time he was elected he presented at a silverback alpha entrepreneur. This time he presents more as a fond head of a line of succession." While experts believe the incoming US President is presenting himself as calmer and more personable in his body language, voters who didn't back the new Commander-in-Chief won't quickly forget some of the highly alarming things he has said.

Before and during the campaign - which has lasted, in total, around 100 days since Ms Harris became the Democratic nominee - Mr Trump has delivered a wide range of concerning comments during his rallies. Among the promises he has made on stage was one to carry out the biggest ever deportation of undocumented people.

He has also branded migrants "animals" with "bad genes" who were "poisoning the blood of the country", comments that have seen him compared to Adolf Hitler. At one other point, he complained that the US was being treated "like a garbage can" for the rest of the world.