(NewsNation) — Americans tuned in to their televisions Tuesday night to watch the two presidential candidates meet face-to-face and debate for the first time, witnessing Vice President Kamala Harris try to take command from the start by walking to Trump’s side of the stage for a handshake.
But Harris’ assertive handshake prior to the debate, and her attempted assertiveness throughout, did not serve her as well as she might have thought, according to Dr. Lillian Glass, an expert in communication and body language.
Glass joined “Morning in America” on Wednesday to break down the candidates’ performance from a communication perspective. How did the two interact and communicate with one another? What was their demeanor, and how was their delivery?
Glass wouldn’t name a winner from an overall debate point of view, but she offered an analysis from a communication point of view. Harris was prepared and “knew her answers,” but her team did not prepare her in how she came across, Glass said, adding the vice president was “very nasal, staccato, monotone, and needs work with gestures.”
“They trained her well in the debate area, but they needed to work on the delivery area,” Glass said.
While Harris came across confident with an erect posture, at times she would hold her hand to her chin, sarcastically smile and laugh as she listened to some of Trump’s attacks.
“I don’t know if (the smiling and laughter) helped her any,” Glass said.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed an angry demeanor, “more angry than ever before,” along with a more serious tone than in the past, according to Glass.
It’s unclear whether the two candidates will debate again before November’s election.
