During his press conference on Thursday, President Trump was asked about, "... an uptick in anti-Semitism and how the government is planning to take care of it ...". Mr. Trump's response was immediately one of the most controversial of the entire presser.
What follows is the transcript of that portion of the event, followed by a partial body language analysis of a crucial component.
DONALD TRUMP (continuing at 1:04:01 in the above video) : Wait, let's see who's - I want to find a friendly reporter. You [inaudible] -
JAKE TURX: Right here, I'm friendly
TRUMP: Are you a friendly reporter?
TURX: I'm friendly
TRUMP: Watch how friendly he is.
TURX: I've been, I've been - I've been good to you -
TRUMP: Now wait, wait - watch how friendly he is. Go ahead.
TURX: I've been good to you the entire campaign Mr. President.
TRUMP: Go ahead.
TURX: So - first of all, my name is Jake Turx, from Ami Magazine and I, despite what some of my colleagues may ah, have been reporting, I haven't seen anybody in my community, ah, accuse either yourself or any, ah, anyone on your staff of being anti-Semitic. Ah, we understand that you have Jewish grandchildren. You are their zayde ("Zadye" is a Yiddish, deeply affectionate term for “grandfather”).
TRUMP: Thank you.
TURX: However - what we are concerned about - and what we haven't really, ah, heard being addressed is an uptick in anti-Semitism and how the government is planning to take care of it. There's been a report out that 48, ah, ah - bomb threats have been made against Jewish centers all across the country in the last couple of weeks. There are people who are committing anti-Semitic acts, or threatening to -
DONALD TRUMP: [over-talking] You see, said - he was going to ask a very simple, easy question - and it's not. It's not. Not a f-, not a simple question, not a fair question. OK. Sit down. I, I understand the rest of your question.
So here's the story folks. Ah, number one, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you've ever seen in your entire life. Number two - racism - the least racist person.
In fact we did very well relative to other people running as a Republican.
TURX: Inaudible
TRUMP: Quiet, quiet, quiet. See he lied about - he was going to get up and ask a very straight, simple question. So you know, it's welcome to the world of the media. But let me just tell you something, that, um - I hate the charge. I find it repulsive. I hate even the question because people that know me and you heard the prime minister, you heard, ah - Betanyahu [sic], [mispronounciation] yesterday, did you hear him? Bibi. He said, "I've known Donald Trump for a long time" and then he said - "forget it". See you should take that instead of having to get up and ask ah, a very insulting question like that.
End of (Partial) Transcript, Analysis begins below:
Each description corresponds to the image immediately above it
1:04:14, Disgust display after Trump said, "Go ahead."
1:04:15, Tight Tongue Jut indicating the thought-emotions of, "Disgust, Disdain and Repulsion".
1:04:31, just prior to the "Tongue Exit" of a second "Tight Tongue Jut". Notice the tightening and forward protruding of the lips and adjacent tissue - as well as the retraction of the jaw and dimpling of the front of the chin.
1:04:46, a hyperbolic Forward Lip Purse indicating disagreement and a plan of action (both are very often kept clandestine).
1:04:49, Disgust + Anger
1:04:50, yet another Tight Tongue Jut
1:04:52 - 1:04:53, Tight Forward Lip Purse - a signal for clandestine disagreement/clandestine plan mixed with a secondary, lesser component of anger
1:04:53 - 1:04:54, Contempt
1:04:55, Looking away during contempt (or disgust or anger) amplifies the contempt (a "Contempt Amplifier").
1:04:58, Palm down gestures - leads to lower audience recall - it's authoritative, dismissive and rapport destroying.
Summary: President Trump's rapid sequence of nonverbal displays are profoundly non-contextual relative to the question being asked.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3853: Tom Hiddleston, a School Play and Eddie Redmayne
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3851: Donald Trump's Impromptu Press Conference - "Russia is a Ruse"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3849: Donald Trump's and Justin Trudeau's Relative Confidence Levels During Yesterday's Press Conference
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3829: Mary Tyler Moore - Flirtatious, Sexy, Alpha Female Smile
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3794: Racist Rant at Jefferson Mall in Louisville
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3765: Conjoined twins Jadon and Anias McDonald - See each other directly for the first time
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3655: Rescue In Baton Rouge Floodwater
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3710: Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte Compares Himself With Hitler
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