Saturday, August 8, 2015

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3272: Donald Trump, Megyn Kelly, Deception and Misogyny (VIDEO, PHOTOS)






















Just when you thought it couldn't get any stranger - during a CNN interview yesterday, Donald Trump implied the reason he felt Megyn Kelly was giving him difficult questions during the first Republican Presidential debate was because she was menstruating (Note the expression of contempt Governor Scott Walker has toward Trump).

" ... you know she, she gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions and you know you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, ah, blood coming out of her - where ever.

Here is an audio segment of that phone interview:




Many have called for Donald to be excluded from Republican Party activities and this may very well be Trump's tipping point.

Erick Erickson, the organizer of the Red State Gathering in Atlanta, has rescinded Mr. Trump's invitation to the event. Trump was to speak Saturday (today) at the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the Gathering. Mr. Erickson said, "While Mr. Trump resonates with a lot of people with his bluntness, including me to a degree, there are just real lines of decency a person running for President should not cross."..... "His comment was inappropriate. It is unfortunate to have to disinvite him. But I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal. It just was wrong.

Flashback to the prior night during the first Republican Presidential Debate:





MEGYN KELLY: "Mr. Trump - one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women.  You’ve called women you don’t like 'fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.' "

(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)  "Your Twitter account…"

DONALD TRUMP: "Only Rosie O’Donnell."  (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)

KELLY: "No, it wasn’t.  (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)  Your Twitter account…"  (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: "Thank you."

KELLY: "For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell."

TRUMP: "Yes, I’m sure it was."

KELLY: "Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, 'it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees.' Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?"

TRUMP: "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.  I've been (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) I’ve been challenged by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody.  And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it’s fun, it’s kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that." (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)

"But you know what, we — we need strength, we need energy, we need quickness and we need brain in this country to turn it around. That, I can tell you right now."






















During the 1:51 - 1:52 segment (please watch video), immediately after he says, "... But I wouldn't do that ...", Mr. Trump displays a particularly prolonged episode of eyelid closure. He also has multiple similar extended duration blinking episodes during the ensuing paragraph.

Increased frequency of blinking (above baseline for the person in question) is a well-documented nonverbal indicator of anxiety and although it may be a component of a deception cluster, it can also be seen during moments of honest nervousness. Such long duration eyelid closing however - when in context of a declarative statement, (e.g., "... But I wouldn't do that ...") is a much stronger indicator of a lying. We had to wait less than a day for Mr. Trump to prove the reliability of this tell of betrayal.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3271: Donald Trump, Smiling out of Context and Running as an Independent - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2945: Roger Goodell's Interview regarding Ray Rice - Denies NFL saw Video before Monday

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3062: Phylicia Rashad interview regarding Bill Cosby

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3081: More Bill Belichick Body Language Deception Deflategate Tells 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2745: Vladimir Putin Deception regarding Crimea

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3181: Cristiano Ronaldo defends Japanese boy on TV - Body Language of Deception

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2400:  One Way Deception Could be Minimized in the Court Room -  O.J. Simpson's in Court  


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