Last night, during the second Presidential Debate of 2016, Donald Trump repeatedly make tremendous nonverbal mistakes - which surely he had been specifically warned against committing.
Again and again Mr. Trump followed Hillary Clinton around the debate floor and invaded her personal space. Moreover, for extended periods of time he stood close behind her - which is particularly aggressive.
With the exception of the athletic field, in any most any setting professional and social setting - and certainly in the context of a debate such behavior is predatory. Watch this video with the sound off - and it will jump at you to an even greater degree.
From a purely strategic, "how-can-I-get-more-votes" point of view, Donald Trump also made a profound mistake with this aggressive, hyper-alpha stalking nonverbal behavior: for while it solidified his die-hard base, it served to repel the undecided voters.
Question: If you were at a party or public gathering, what would you think if a man was behaving in this same manner? Answer: You would accurately access this as threatening behavior.
Recall that Rick Lazio made the same mistake against Hillary Clinton in the 2000 New York U.S. Senate race.
Sixteen years ago, Al Gore famously encroached into George W. Bush's personal space as well.
Summary: Donald Trump exhibited predatory body language last night in the second Presidential Debate with his stalking-like behavior and repeated invasion of Hillary Clinton's personal space - which will result in him losing a substantial percentage of swing voters.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3719: Donald Trump's "Apology" - Crisis Management, Body Language and Emotional Intelligence
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3717: Creepy Clowns, Body Language and Emotional Intelligence
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3715: Mike Pence Denies Saying Vladimir Putin is a Better Leader
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3712: Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle - "You're No Jack Kennedy"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3710: Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte Compares Himself With Hitler
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3704: Hillary Clinton, Likability and Presidential Debates
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3692: Donald Trump Gets Interrupted by Pastor in Flint, Michigan
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3668: Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and The Brexit
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3648: Hillary Clinton, “I may have short-circuited”
This website serve as reference sources for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.
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