Jimmy Kimmel‘s body language spoke volumes during his return to the air on Tuesday night, with various expressions showing how he really feels about President Donald Trump, an expert said.

Leading communication and body language analyst Judi James analyzed Kimmel after watching his lengthy monologue – the host’s first since being pulled off the air for comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk.

James told the Daily Mail that Kimmel struck ‘a self-protective pose’ as an image of Trump flashed on screen, standing ‘with his hands in a fig-leaf barrier gesture.’

The move – in which a person’s hands are clasped and extended full length in front of them – gets its name from the biblical story of Adam and Eve, who used fig leaves to cover their nakedness. It often signals discomfort.

Kimmel struck the pose after playing a clip of Trump telling reporters the host was ‘a wack job’ with ‘no ratings.’

‘Well, I do tonight,’ Kimmel quipped, a reference to the renewed interest in his show since his suspension.

Trump attacked and threatened to sue ABC on Tuesday night for allowing the host back on the air.

During his nearly 18-minute monologue, Kimmel appeared visibly emotional from start to finish.

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Jimmy Kimmel struck ‘a self-protective pose’ as an image of President Trump flashed on screen, standing ‘with his hands in a fig-leaf barrier gesture’

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Judi James, a leading body language expert, analyzed Kimmel during his nearly 18-minute monologue on Tuesday night

‘His inner tension showed by the tightness of his hand clasp that made his fingers go white,’ James said of the moment Kimmel took the stage.

‘The ovation and visible support seemed to be what moved him to tears.

‘There was something akin to an Oscar-winners speech as he thanked everyone who had supported him, with a thumb-rubbing self-comfort ritual suggesting inner upset.’

As he spoke, Kimmel shifted from timid to aggressive, accusing the administration of censorship and flouting free speech protections.

‘When he referred to government regulation his left hand rolled into a tight fist with the thumb clamped on top in a gesture known as the thumb of power,’ James said, calling it a ‘possibly angry gesture’ used ‘to make his points.’

Early on, Kimmel addressed the backlash he’s received for his comments last week, in which he said the ‘MAGA gang’ was ‘desperately’ trying to distance itself from Charlie Kirk‘s suspected assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

‘It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,’ Kimmel told the audience Tuesday.

‘Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual – that was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.’

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As he spoke, Kimmel shifted from timid to aggressive, accusing the administration of censorship and flouting free speech protections.

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President Trump attacked and threatened to sue ABC on Tuesday night for allowing Kimmel back on the air

Kimmel also bashed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson last week that he was considering an investigation into the host and ABC.

‘The FCC has a tradition of meddling where they shouldn’t under many administrations, but it wasn’t always like this,’ Kimmel said Tuesday, accusing the administration of censorship.

Executives at Sinclair and Nexstar – the two largest local TV broadcasters in the country – are still refusing to air Kimmel’s show.

The host did not offer an apology on Tuesday.