"What was that???" - Eric Trump's viral upside down pyramid hand symbol at Trump Inauguration sparks confusion online

Eric Trump has garnered attention from netizens after Elon Musk sparked online debate for his hand gesture that bore similarities to the Roman salute.

At his father’s second inauguration, Donald Trump’s second son was seen making a hand symbol that appeared to be an upside-down pyramid. In a viral clip, Eric is seemingly told something by his wife Lara, and he stops making the so-called “anti-pyramid” gesture. Internet users quickly noticed the same and gave their opinions on the hand symbol made by Eric Trump.

A user (@Red_Pill_US) posted the recording of the televised ceremony, as they asked,

“Did Laura Trump stop Eric? 😮”

The clip also ignited the discussion, with many being confused about Eric’s supposed hand gesture. A netizen further enquired while sharing their doubts about the incident:

“Yes! I saw that. What was that???”

Read on to learn how other users gave confusing reactions to Eric Trump’s viral video.

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Eric Trump’s hand gesture at the inaugural ceremony left many confused

Many could not understand Eric’s hand gesture and Lara’s on-air reaction. Here’s how some reacted on X after Eric and Lara Trump’s clip was posted:

“I noticed that 🤔,” a user posted with the confused emoticon.

“Trolling? Mocking? Real?,” another user wrote.

“He was doing it on purpose. Thats clear. What was he trying to show?,” someone tried analyzing the gesture.

“Sorry, what is this? Angela Merkel would keep her hands like that 24/7,” another one wrote about the hand gesture.

Someone continued the comparison with Angela Merkel as they wrote,

“wdym? stopped him from beeing Angela Merkel?”

A section of users also pointed out how there was nothing serious about Lara nudging Eric Trump. A user wrote,

“She couldn’t see and was moving him back.”

Another user added,

“She nudged him to move back. She wasn't referring to his hands, unless she could see the front of him from behind. 🤣”

Someone wrote,

“No. She couldn’t see his hands. She was telling him to move over.”

Another netizen responded,

“No, he was standing in front of her and she tapped him to moved back a bit.”

Finally, a user tried to explain the meaning of Eric Trump’s gesture while also posting a picture of the 47th President making the same posture,

“This is a universal and common power pose in the business world called ‘steepling’ 🔻– It’s no more Masonic than it is Rastafarian.”

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For the unversed, the hand posture made by Eric Trump resembled that of a steeple, where someone places their fingers and hands to form a V-shape. According to The Dictionary of Body Language, a book by retired FBI agent Joe Navarro, hand steepling is a “universal display of confidence.

The book also mentions that those in leadership positions often steeple their hands. One such notable example is that of former Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.

As Merkel made the gesture famous, it is often regarded as the Merkel-Raute, Merkel diamond, or Triangle of Power. Other notable personalities such as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk have also been pictured hitting a similar posture as Merkel-Raute.