President Donald Trump's speaking style is often described as razzle-dazzle, with incomplete sentences that leave a lasting impact. A key element of his rhetoric is his frequent use of props, which may seem like an infomercial at 5 a.m. but actually harnesses real persuasive power, supported by neuroscience.
The Neuroscience of Props
According to body language expert Patti Wood, author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, props affect the brain differently than words alone. “Objects affect the brain in a totally different way — specifically the limbic brain, that primitive brain,” Wood told HuffPost. “If someone sees a prop, it hits their limbic brain, they’ll see it faster and it hits them emotionally.” This speed is remarkably fast: an MIT study from 2014 found the human brain can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds.
Props that engage multiple senses — tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, or scent cues — can fast-track emotional responses. Targeting emotions allows points to reach audiences in a more “visceral” way, Wood noted. “In a regular speech, the audience retains 10-25% of information shared, not more than 25% in just a stated speech with words. But props increase not only the attention but the retention,” she added.
Trump's Unique Prop Style
While props are not new to politics, Trump's particular style stands out. Highlights include binders of “Epstein files” prepared for influencers, riffing with a binder clip while discussing “365 Wins in 365 Days,” using a garbage truck to attack Joe Biden over comments about Puerto Rico, making fries at a McDonald’s, and various photo ops featuring hard copies of documents with his signature.
Wood observes that Trump visibly delights in his props. “They know the power of the props, they plan the props and [Trump] likes to see the emotional effect of his presentations. He gets fed by that and that makes him speak better in those moments,” she said. “I can see his [nonverbal communication], he delights and smiles when the props are on the table, when he’s holding a prop. He really enjoys it.”
Props as Brand Artifacts
Trump is particularly adept at integrating props into his brand. From his uniform of blue suit, red tie, and white shirt to catchphrases and verbal quirks, props become “artifacts” that stick in memory. Wood cites the bandage he wore after the 2024 assassination attempt, which other Republicans sported in solidarity. “It has duality of power because there’s some part of our brain that always remembers him with the bandage on him. It becomes permanent, an artifact and part of the brand,” she said.
Simplifying Complex Concepts
A memorable example is Trump using large and small containers of Tic Tacs to demonstrate his plans to combat inflation. “The complex concept was inflation. He was saying he was going to reduce inflation, so you don’t have the small container of Tic Tacs,” Wood explained. “It makes it easier for even someone who can’t read to comprehend what Trump’s saying because it simplifies it so much.” These oversimplifications can get messy when facts and policy are examined closely, but they linger in memory. “His people know that people aren’t necessarily going to read a heavy-duty article on how he’s going to affect inflation, but they’ll remember the Tic Tacs,” Wood said. “Things are turned into memes. The meme of the prop becomes the memorable message.”
People as Props
Trump has also used people as props, such as General Mark Milley in photos outside St. John’s Episcopal Church in June 2020, after federal police used rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters. “A lot of times, his team is having a sense of humor [about the props],” Wood said. “But the people who haven’t seen him interact with a prop before often look uncomfortable. Like [Milley]. He was so horrifically uncomfortable.”
Historical Context of Political Props
Props in politics are not unique to Trump. Examples include Ted Cruz reading Dr. Seuss on the Senate floor in 2013 to oppose the Affordable Care Act, and President Barack Obama drinking filtered water from Flint, Michigan, during the contamination crisis. Studies have examined how other leaders, like Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, use props to bolster rhetoric. However, Trump’s frequent and theatrical use of props, combined with his brand-building, sets him apart.
Wood concludes that props become a replacement for facts, which is a power but not necessarily a benefit. “The prop becomes a replacement for facts,” she said. “That’s not a benefit, but it’s a power.”
