JD and Usha Vance’s viral knee slap moment: Etiquette expert explains what body language really shows

An etiquette expert has revealed what the body language actually shows in a brief interaction between Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance.

The clip shows the couple during a short, light broadcast-style introduction for a children’s storytime segment, where Usha introduces JD on camera before he responds and briefly makes a small knee tap gesture.“Today’s special reader is my husband, Vice President of the United Stated JD Vance. Thanks for joining us today honey,” Usha says in the now viral clip.“Of course good to see ya,” he says as he taps on his wife’s knee twice.

Etiquette expert Jo Hayes:Eeek, awks.

This 2 second introduction has certainly hit the headlines for the wrong reasons .. because it’s just so … ah, awkward.

Not on Usha’s part … her introduction was perfectly normal and smooth.

Poor JD, I daresay he’s not used to such a setting … an interview/broadcast with children as the target audience.

This is not his usual political stage. He’s got that down pat. He knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk in high-powered talks the White House … an innocent story time broadcast … hmmm … not quite his comfort zone.

Not saying he’s not used to storytime. It’s well documented that he’s a hands-on dad, and loves reading books to his children.

But this particular broadcast setting is not his norm and he clearly is unsure as to how to behave. Particularly with his wife as the interviewer.

The “good to see you” line is also bizarre … something like, ‘great to be here’, or ‘thanks for having me’, would have been much more appropriate/normal/not awkward … but, again, he’s clearly out of his comfort zone here, and when in such a position, humans often say awkward things.

One other major body language cue is his jiggly right leg. Take a look at how he jiggles it as she introduces him and he responds. A sure indicator of nervousness/not being fully comfortable, again, simply because recorded story-time is not the usual daily mode of operating for the Vice President of the United States.

But I want to be quick in dismissing the (largely anti-Trump) critics who are labelling this a cry for help from Usha.

Awkward, perhaps bizarre, yes .. but a cry for help? Not in the slightest.

Usha’s body language towards him is comfortable and relaxed, even a bit flirty. Her legs are crossed in his direction, she’s swinging her foot/leg slightly in his direction as she introduces him, which is most definitely communicating love/fondness and a level of flirtation.

JD Vance is wanting to make some level of physical contact with her, as he responds to her welcome/introduction … this is his wife after all, but they’re not seated in a position where he can reach out and grab her hand and give it a squeeze. The closest point of contact is her knee, and that’s what he went with.

Not reaching out and having some for of physical touch would have felt a bit distant/unfamiliar. Making some form of physical touch is appropriate, it’s just that this came across as awkward.

I’d say he was probably intending to squeeze her knee, as is normal for a couple, but pulled out at the last micro-second, sensing that might come across as too intimate for a children’s book reading, so he transitioned to a knee tap instead.

Knowing what I do about the human person, especially how we behave when we’re slightly out of our comfort zone, we can all relate to saying/doing things in the moment, that we later (or even in the moment) realise ‘oooh, so awkward, why did i say/do that?’

There’s really no explanation beyond the fact that we are human, and we occasionally say/do awkward things. And these are usually reserved for situations/moments where we are unsure/or out of our comfort zone.

It often isn’t a true reflection of our intention in the moment, it’s just that we’re unsure of how to behave, so our behaviour sometimes manifests in awkward/ bizarre things.

One thing I feel very confident about with this couple - their marriage is on solid ground. Usha radiates a calm contentedness that reflects a deep satisfaction with her state of life - her marriage, being a mother (and an expectant one at that), being second lady.