Monday, March 28, 2016

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3511: Ted Cruz Statement Regarding Allegations of Extramarital Affairs - Body Language and Statement Analysis (VIDEO, PHOTOS)




Recently The National Enquirer published a story alleging Ted Cruz has had a series of extramarital affairs and named different five women. While campaigning in Wisconsin last Friday, Ted Cruz conducted a press conference addressing these allegations. A shortened video excerpt of this statement can be seen above and a partial transcript follows (A more complete video of Sen. Cruz's statement is included below).

"The next day, the National Enquirer published a story. It is a story that quoted one source on the record - Roger Stone, Donald Trump’s chief political advisor. Let me be clear, this National Enquirer story is garbage. It is complete and utter lies. It is a tabloid smear. And it is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen. It is attacking my family, and what is striking - is Donald’s henchman, Roger Stone - had for months - been foreshadowing that this attack was coming. It’s not surprising that Donald Trump’s tweet occurs the day before the attack comes out. And I would note that Mr. Stone - is a man who has 50 years of dirty tricks behind him. He’s a man for whom - a term was coined - for copulating with a rodent. Well let me be clear: Donald Trump may be a rat, but I have no desire to copulate with him. And this garbage does not belong in politics. 

And the venue for this for this attack is not surprising - the National Inquirer. The CEO of The National Enquirer is an individual named David Pecker. Well David is good friends with Donald Trump. They have a friendship that goes back for many years - in fact, The National Enquirer has endorsed Donald Trump - has said he must be President. And so Donald, when he’s losing, when he’s scared, when Republicans are uniting against him - decides - to peddle sleaze and slime. You know, Donald is fond of giving people nicknames. With this pattern, he should not be surprised to see people calling him, 'Sleazy Donald'. Because that is his first and last resort - is to go to sleaze - and ignore the truth."

From a statement analysis standpoint there are several key points which point to deception. Note that Senator Cruz never states definitively, "No - I did not cheat on my wife" or "No - I never had an extramarital affair". Instead he implies it - e.g.,  "this National Enquirer story is garbage" or "It is a tabloid smear" or "It is attacking my family". This lack of a clear and plain statement of, "No" immediately followed by, "I have never had an extramarital affair" (or something very similar) - strongly suggests he is not telling the truth.

Another very telling statement analysis observation here is the dramatically disproportionate amount of words/sentences/time Senator Cruz spends on attacking his accusers compared with denying his guilt. This strikingly asymmetrical attacking-to-denying ratio is highly correlative with deception (Houston).

What is extremely bizarre, and to date has been barely addressed by anyone - is when Senator Cruz says, "He’s a man for whom - a term was coined - for copulating with a rodent. Well let me be clear: Donald Trump may be a rat, but I have no desire to copulate with him." Here Cruz is using a combination sexual metaphor-sexual literal, with his accuser to refute alleged sexual acts. He also further confuses Roger Stone with Donald Trump. One could search many a year and never find a paragraph so very Freudian.

If a journalist were to simply ask Senator Cruz clearly and succinctly, "Senator Cruz, for the record, have you ever cheated on your wife?" - we are likely to get, if only for a few seconds, a very different Ted Cruz.

Did you notice Senator Cruz has an aversion toward using contractions in this press conference? This tendency too points to deception.

Notice also Ted Cruz's vocal quality (paralanguage) - it has the same staccato, hyper-comma, measured, debate-style quality we're used to seeing - and which has served him very well during debates. In other words, Ted Cruz possesses vocal characteristics which have very little variation. Yet it's not the tone of voice used by a person who is either angry (and holding back a portion of their anger) or someone who is defending their honor. It's the same Ted Cruz we always hear. Every politician is certainly entitled to "sound like a politician" - but NOT when they're defending their honor. This does not sound sincere, it sounds political - it sounds acted. It is insincere.

From a body language standpoint, Ted Cruz's nonverbal vocabulary is also very repetitive. The same scant number of facial expressions and a small variety of repetitive hand-arm gestures also speak to a quite "limited nonverbal vocabulary". In fact if you mute the sound and watch his press conference, you will no variation from his nonverbal behavior in any other press conference. With such a profound accusation, this "same old style" is a red flag.

A person who is skilled at deception very often exhibits very little vocal variation as well as a limited body language vocabulary. In short - it makes it much easier to deceive with a limit repertoire.

It can't be emphasized enough, that whenever one is assessing for truths or lies, always determine if the vocal qualities, the verbal language and the nonverbal language are congruent. If this triad is in unison then there is a very high probability that you're the beneficiary of honesty. If any one of these is dispirit - take heed. You've been warned.







See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3510: Lindsey Graham - The Senator Picks His Poison: Ted Cruz vs. Donald Trump

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3452: A Ted Cruz Rapport Destroyer

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3482: Donald Trump Refuses to Disavow David Duke and the KKK 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3293: Why is Donald Trump a Better Liar than Most Politicians?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3300: Vladimir Putin, Narcissism and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3247: Barack Obama's Response to Question regarding Revoking Bill Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3436: Is Hillary Clinton Intimidated by Donald Trump? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3355: Spin the Microphone on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show - Gwen Stefani is very attracted to Blake Shelton



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