Moment Former First Lady Melania Trump 'slaps' off husband Donald’s hand resurfaces online

When Melania and Donald Trump traveled to Tel Aviv in 2017, public members watched their every move, but one moment stood out in particular.

On May 22, the pair disembarked their plane to meet Israeli’s then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his wife, Sara.

The former First Lady, who has recently been missing at all of Trump's important campaign events, walked behind her husband as he extended his hand to hold hers, but she swatted it away in an unexpected move.

Donald Trump showed no change in his stride, according to a body language expert. and resumed his course despite it being unclear what prompted Melania's action.

The incident was interpreted by some as a sign of how Trump’s relationship had evolved since becoming First Couple.

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Patti Wood, a body language expert, speculated that the 53-year-old’s move may not have been an accident but rather a deliberate act, The Independent reported.

“He was walking way in front to show his power and putting his hand back to lead her like a child," she explained. “Her hand went under his and up and out to say ‘No, you can’t lead my life a child.’”

Before moving into the White House, Wood speculates that the pair’s relationship may have been “highly sexualised, with him touching intimate zones or her body in public freely and easily, typically as he smiled and even gloated”.

The behavioural analyst believes a shift may occurred after Trump was sworn in as President and started calling the shots on their public image.

“He is determining how they will present themselves,” Wood explained. “She tried to hold his hand at times in an affectionate way, which makes me think that was their normal way of walking.

“She is used to affection and often leans to get it but we see him turn away or smack her hand away in an admonishing way.”

Wood added: “[Trump] wants to be as a president, not as part of the presidential couple.”

Hawk-eyed viewers came up with several theories for the awkward exchange, some citing personal turmoil between the pair as the main reason.

It comes as Donald Trump, who has joined the race for the 2024 presidential election, offered a heartwarming anecdote about his wife that suggested the pair are fond of each other.

In an interview for the Megyn Kelly Show Podcast, the former Fox News host asked after the former first lady, to which Trump replied: “She’s a very calm person. It’s very interesting. And I think that’s what people like about her

“Our dinners are nice. Dinners are like other people’s dinners. We get along. We actually get along very well.”