Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Body Language Analysis No. 4383: William Barr's 27 March 2019 Senate Testimony - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)



Earlier today, The Washington Post reported that on 27 March 2019 - three days after William Barr released his four-page summary of Robert Mueller's report - Mueller wrote a letter to the Justice Department. He complained to the Attorney General that Barr's summary of Mueller's investigation of President Trump “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of his investigation. Robert Mueller followed up the next day with a 15-minute phone call with Barr.

What follows is a nonverbal analysis of a crucial portion of U.S. Attorney General William Barr's Testimony before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (aka 'CJS Subcommittee') on 10 April 2019.

CHRISTOPHER VAN HOLLEN [over-talking, continuing at 1:50:10]: Did, Did Bob Mueller support your conclusion?

WILLIAM BARR: I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion.

CHRISTOPHER VAN HOLLEN: So, in your, in your June Twenty Eighteen memo, you indicated a President can commit Obstruction of Justice in the classic sense - ah, of sabotaging a proceeding's truth-finding functions ...


During 1:50:13 - 1:50:14, as he says, "Bob Mueller supported", the Attorney General scoots forward in his chair. Upon being asked a pointed question, Barr's Chair Squirm/Butt Adjustment is indicative of High Anxiety.


As Senator Van Hollen says, "conclusion" and immediately thereafter (1:50:15), William Barr twice closes his eyes for over a second. This is not at all typical blinking. These pseudo-blinks are blocking behaviors. Barr is Psychologically Distancing himself from what he's saying (and from what he's hearing himself say).


At the end of his statement, "I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion" - Barr intertwines his fingers. This interdigitation signals simultaneously his Anxiety and his attempt at controlling it.

He also raises his elbows and shoulders while momentarily foreshortening his neck (1:50:16 - 1:50:17). This dynamic illustrates Low Emotional Confidence and Anxiety. His upper back muscles are tensing-up as his nervousness crescendos.


He repeats this elbow-lift/shoulder lift/neck shortening during 1:50:18, as Senator Van Hollen says, "June" (1:50:18) - fingers still intertwined.


If we zoom in on Barr, scrutinizing his eyes - overlapping with this moment (1:50:17 - 1:50:18), we see the Attorney General looking down to his right. This is the quadrant to which most people look during stressful emotional moments associated with Sadness, Guilt, and Deception.


During 1:50:18, as Senator Van Hollen says, "Twenty" ("June Twenty Eighteen"), Barr displays a classic Disgust expression.


A second later (1:50:19), as Senator Van Hollen says, "Eight" ("June Twenty Eighteen memo"), Attorney General Barr's Disgust morphs into Contempt.

Please view this portion of the video at regular speed, then at 1/2, at 1/4 - and then again at regular speed. Repeat this cycle several times to capture the full dynamics and the nuance of each expression.


SUMMARY: Taken in toto, William Barr's above-described body language cluster is highly indicative of deception. The nonverbal behavior in this exchange completely supports the implication in today's Washington Post that the United States Attorney General lied during his sworn testimony to Congress.


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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4382: Why is Donald Trump Leaning Forward?


Body Language Analysis No. 4381: Trump 'jokes' about staying in office for "at least for 10 or 14 years"


Body Language Analysis No. 4380: Tiger Woods Wins his first Masters in 14 years

Body Language Analysis No. 4379: Katie Bouman, Black Holes, and Emotional Processing 

Body Language Analysis No. 4378: William Barr questioned before House Subcommittee regarding The Mueller Report 

Body Language Analysis No. 4377: Donald Trump, "These aren't people, these are animals"

Body Language Analysis No. 4354: Mass Shooting at Pittsburgh Synagogue

Body Language Analysis No. 4332: Richard Nixon, Nikita Khrushchev, and The Kitchen Debate


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