Body Language Expert Breaks Down Kamala Harris' Victory Speech

The election was understandably an overwhelming and emotional experience for many people living in the U.S., and that likely goes triple for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. While you may have seen the short clip of her celebratory call with running mate Joe Biden, Harris remained composed during her victory speech that evening. To gain more insight into Harris' mindset, The List spoke with Joseph Hoelscher, body language expert and Managing Attorney at Hoelscher Gebbia Cepeda PLLC. Hoelscher agreed that overall Kamala Harris was incredibly composed, noting that he felt Harris has "obviously got some formal training" when it comes to public speaking. While this deliberate and controlled speaking style seems to work for Harris in and outside the courtroom, Hoelscher said that to experts, her hands betrayed her. Hoelscher explained that many of the gestures Harris used during the speech were the product of, quote, "training, not nature." While a pro like Hoelscher can pick out these learned habits from a mile away, us novices are a little less able to spot them. If you're a more astute judge of body language, you might have been a little put off by Harris' performance. You're not alone. Luckily for all U.S. citizens, Hoelscher said that the conclusion about this specific tic, while widely circulated, has little scientific support. Not only that, but Hoelscher also believes Harris' strange movement can actually be attributed to one thing totally out of her control — the location of the teleprompter. Upon reviewing the footage of Harris' speech, Hoelscher felt that she was probably just checking the teleprompter to make sure she was hitting all her key points in what was surely a high-pressure situation. As Harris is clearly an accomplished public speaker and politician, even Hoelscher had a little bit of trouble reading her body language. We're not sure if that is a good or bad thing for the American public. It's probably a great skill when negotiating with other countries, but gives us less insight into her inner workings. While there is nothing wrong with being in control of your emotions, we hope Harris is taking the time to congratulate herself on winning such a tight race and celebrating with friends and family. We've all seen her sweet dance moves on multiple occasions so we know the VP-to-be is not afraid to let her hair down from time to time. Here's hoping she carries that joy with her to the White House. Keep watching to see Body Language Expert Breaks Down Kamala Harris' Victory Speech! #KamalaHarris