# What’s up with Trump’’s goofy little fist sign? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 3, 2022, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901 "2022-09-03T21:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/1 "2022-09-03T21:53:06Z")
When most people make a fist and hold it up, it looks like a fist you’d make if you were going to hit something or someone. But when Trump makes a fist, it looks so weenie-like. Like he thinks it looks like a fist, but he’s not the least bit capable of striking someone with it, so it looks like an imitation of a fist. I know he actually has small hands, but the pose of the fingers and hand are all wrong for a “real” fist. Anyone else notice this? He looks like Wallace saying “Gromit, let’s go where there’s cheese!” He looks so lame doing it!!! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/2 "2022-09-03T21:54:16Z")
Well, with his tiny hands, he just can’t make an imposing looking fist. Why’s everyone got to mean so mean? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/3 "2022-09-03T21:57:56Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Well, with his tiny hands, he just can’t make an imposing looking fist. Why’s everyone got to mean so mean? - Because he can’t hit very hard? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/4 "2022-09-04T01:07:49Z")
Picture is required. And yes, it sure does look goofy! [![](https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107103162-1660307712527-gettyimages-1242419185-AFP_32GB7AU.jpeg?v=1660307762&w=1920&h=1080) ](https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107103162-1660307712527-gettyimages-1242419185-AFP_32GB7AU.jpeg?v=1660307762&w=1920&h=1080) ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/5 "2022-09-04T01:08:07Z")
I’ve noticed it, and it looks effeminate, but it didn’t stand out since everything else about Trump looks cartoonish. Nothing about Trump’s appearance appears normal. It’s almost as if he intentionally tries to look goofy. Look at this hair. Everybody thinks it looks stupid, but I doubt anybody would dare mention it to him. And the white around his eyes. What’s with that? Since he uses makeup, he should hire someone to make him look human. He’s a billionaire. He can afford it. I suppose when you are a pathological narcissist, you think you look great, and everyone else, by comparison, looks awful. We’ll see how well his looks hold up in jail… assuming he’s indicted and convicted of something. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/6 "2022-09-04T01:09:14Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > We’ll see how well his looks hold up in jail At least his face will match his orange jumpsuit. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/7 "2022-09-04T01:12:01Z")
That’s ASL (American Sign Language) for the letter “A.” He’s letting us all know that he’s an _Asshole_. Awfully decent of him, I’d say, though most of us already got the memo. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/8 "2022-09-04T01:12:55Z")
Looks like he’s holding on to a horizontal bar of a prison cell. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/9 "2022-09-04T02:23:53Z")
He makes two of those silly fists when he “dances” to Macho Macho Man. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/10 "2022-09-04T02:34:33Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > He makes two of those silly fists when he “dances” to Macho Macho Man. “YMCA,” but it’s still highly weird. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Zph7YXfjMhg/maxresdefault.jpg "Watch: Trump Dances To ‘YMCA’ At His Campaign Rallies | NBC News NOW") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zph7YXfjMhg) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/11 "2022-09-04T03:46:48Z")
“Strength through discipline! Strength through community! Strength through action!” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/12 "2022-09-04T03:56:31Z")
Trumpie should take lessons in how to be cool from these guys – at least it would be an improvement! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YGv6uo89yMY/maxresdefault.jpg "Two Wild & Crazy Guys: Computer Dates - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGv6uo89yMY) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/13 "2022-09-04T03:59:23Z")
[![](https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107103162-1660307712527-gettyimages-1242419185-AFP_32GB7AU.jpeg) ](https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107103162-1660307712527-gettyimages-1242419185-AFP_32GB7AU.jpeg) I tried replicating that fist myself. It’s remarkably loose - all you have to do is curl your fingers forward to line them up the knuckle of your thumb. There’d be zero force behind it if you actually tried to punch someone with it. It’s like he’s seen people make fists before, but he’s never actually thrown a punch in his life and wouldn’t know how to if he had to. Fits perfectly with his being a wimp who pretends to be a tough guy. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/14 "2022-09-04T07:21:32Z")
Has no-one ever told him that’s the Communist salute? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/15 "2022-09-04T08:10:06Z")
Because it’s not a real fist like you would make if you were thinking about punching. A real fist has the striking part of the knuckle facing forward and in a straight line with the wrist, and the thumb wrapped tight over the foreknuckles. Trump just closes his fingers and bends his wrist slightly backwards, so his hand position doesn’t look forceful at all. I would not be surprised to learn that he defensively closes his fingers onto his palm to make his hands seem less short-fingered, as they have famously been called. But yeah, those aren’t real fists. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/16 "2022-09-04T08:18:30Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > That’s ASL (American Sign Language) for the letter “A.” Or it could be the letter ‘S’. It’s about halfway in between. Typical, the doofus-fucker can’t even get his letters straight. > [@Kimstu](#): > > I would not be surprised to learn that he defensively closes his fingers onto his palm to make his hands seem less short-fingered I don’t think his fingers ever _appear_ to be particularly short because he has such tiny, tiny baby hands it’s all in proportion. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/17 "2022-09-04T08:44:28Z")
So, is the instinctive way for most people to make a fist to bend your thumb over your knuckles? It would seem so, because doing a Google Image Search shows pictures of that type of fist almost exclusively. Huh. I never thought about it before, but apparently I make fists “wrong.” I’m a #1 fist in [this ridiculous article](https://littlethings.com/lifestyle/clench-your-fist-personality-test/1622491-4) that claims you can tell personality traits by how you make a fist. But almost all depictions of fists show style #2. Even Trump is sort of a #2. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/18 "2022-09-04T13:22:01Z")
I think we all agree - “Trump is sort of a #2.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/19 "2022-09-04T13:41:36Z")
He has the famously short fingers commonly found among vulgarians. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901/20 "2022-09-04T14:12:07Z")
This is so funny. I paused my tv the other day on a photo of him making his fist and I also tried to duplicate it. It’s as useless a fist as can be. A lazy fist. A fist wanna be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-trump-s-goofy-little-fist-sign/970901.md?page=2)