In the world of handshakes, there numerous different types. One well-known one is the “Yank and Pull” handshake designed to manipulate and demean its recipient:
Yank and Pull: This handshake is considered a power play, as it’s when a person decides to grab your arm and pull you in close towards them and inside their territory/personal space. There are three possible reasons for this: firstly the person may be feeling insecure and needs you to be in their own territory in order to feel comfortable and safe, or secondly they come from a culture/city that requires smaller space needs, or finally, they want to take control and get you off balance. In any of these cases, they should be considered manipulative because the persons wants things done a certain way.
Immediately following his speech accepting Pr*sident Trump’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch was publicly subjected to this power play handshake in front of a global audience by Trump. It starts around the 16-second mark in the video below. Trump yanks Gorsuch in once, then twice, then, just as Gorsuch is returning to the podium to collect his notes, a third time. The last yank is so violent that Judge Gorsuch is nearly pulled off his feet as his body is jerked toward Trump:
The unspoken message was clear: “Stay in line, mister. Do NOT forget that.”
This was done to a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, a man Donald Trump himself describes as ” brilliant mind” with “outstanding legal skills”. And he has just been made subservient to the President of the United States of America.
*Donald Trump is the largest loser of the popular vote in history to become the President of the United States of America.
