A day after JD Vance stated in an interview that he thinks President Donald Trump would eventually endorse him for a potential 2028 presidential run, Trump failed to actually do that.

At a White House event on Tuesday, a reporter inquired: “Since we have the vice president here, the vice president said in an interview yesterday that he thought that you would endorse him if he does decide to run in 2028. Since we’re here, could you tell us...”

Trump interrupted, “Well, I tell you this, he’s a very talented person, and he’s a very good person, but we’ve, literally, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it.”

The camera then panned up to Vance. “No, sir, I said that too,” Vance said, referring to his comment the previous day that they hadn’t discussed a potential run or endorsement.

“You know, who would believe that? I don’t talk about it with him; he doesn’t talk about it...” Trump trailed off. “It’s early, very early right now. We have to get through the midterms, see how it goes.”

The president then changed the subject to his midterm campaign rallies.

Body language experts spotted several telling reactions from Trump and Vance during the exchange. For starters, when the president starts to answer the reporter’s question, Trump “takes a big breath in,” said Traci Brown, a body language expert and behavior analyst.

“And that says he’s getting ready for something ... there’s something that he needs to be ready for, and then he actually he shakes his head no, which is pretty telling for a direct yes or no question,” Brown told HuffPost.

“Our bodies are wired ― since we were little ― to know a nod is yes and a shake is no,” she said.

Trump then goes on to close his eyes, “which is an eye block — so, that’s a conscious closing of the eye,” Brown added. “There’s something he doesn’t want to see. He’s either keeping information in or keeping information out.”

According to Abbie Maroño, a behavioral scientist, “Vance’s hands are more revealing here than his smile.”

“He starts with both hands held in front of his groin, creating a protective barrier, but watch what happens within that position: He squeezes his hands together and subtly rubs his thumb against his hand,” she added. “These are small, self-soothing movements that can help regulate tension while the rest of the body remains composed.”

The vice president’s nose and chin are also tilted upward, Maroño noted. “Often, this can be a display of dominance or superiority, but it is common in Vance’s usual posture,” she said. “What is more interesting is the contrast between that confident-looking posture and the tension in his hands.”

Vance leans forward and smiles, but his smile doesn’t engage his eyes, she added, suggesting a more polite and social smile. Vance then “quickly presses his lips together ... a movement that can accompany tension or holding back an expression.”

His nodding, smiling and verbal agreement with the president may appear polite and composed, but his smaller body movements “suggest nervousness underneath,” Maroño said.

“My reading is that he is working to maintain a composed, supportive presence during a moment when the attention is very personally on him,” she added.

“The demure handclasp and calling Trump ‘sir’ serves to show his respect for the president,” said Peter Collett, a body language expert based in England.

Trump changes the subject to Mike Rogers, a Republican who is running for Senate in Michigan. During this time, Vance demonstrates “exaggerated head nodding,” Collett said, “which is designed to show that Vance agrees, that he’s not being peevish and that he’s a really a good sport.”

At one point, Vance sways and fidgets around a bit, Brown noted. This shows it’s an “uncomfortable topic” for him. “He laughs to relieve that stress,” Brown said.

“I don’t think they’ve had the conversation [about the presidential endorsement], but I also don’t think he’s going to get the endorsement,” said Brown. “At least right now ... things change, right? But from today, right now, no.”

Throughout the exchange, Trump has a “relatively relaxed presentation,” Maroño said, and responds in a “measured” way.

“My reading is that Trump looks comfortable leaving the question unresolved, while Vance’s small self-soothing movements suggest that standing beside him and receiving that answer is a more pressured experience,” Maroño said.

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