Friday, May 10, 2019

Body Language Analysis No. 4385: William Barr Testimony - Part II - Senate Judiciary Committee - 1 May 2019 - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)




This is the second nonverbal analysis of Attorney General William Barr's 1 May 2018 testimony. Barr was testifying under oath before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary regarding the Justice Department’s Investigation of Russian Interference with the 2016 US Presidential Election.

Since this appearance, the Barr has refused to appear before the House Judiciary Committee - which was scheduled for 2 May 2019.

In addition, following President Trump’s declaration of executive privilege, the Justice Department declared it will not be complying with the House's subpoena for the full Mueller Report.

What follows is a nonverbal analysis of a second crucial portion of William Barr's Senate testimony and his exchange with Senator Kamala Harris (please see the first of the cross-reference links below for the initial analysis of this series).

KAMALA HARRIS (continuing at 1:39): My question - is in reaching your conclusion - did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?

WILLIAM BARR: Ah, no. We took - a, and accepted -

KAMALA HARRIS (over-talking): Did, did, did -  

WILLIAM BARR (over-talking): We accepted -

KAMALA HARRIS (over-talking): - did Mr. Rosenstein?

WILLIAM BARR (over-talking): - statements. No [quietly]. We accepted the statements in The Report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it - to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate. And made our - made our decision -

KAMALA HARRIS (over-talking): So you accepted, you accepted The Report as the evidence?

WILLIAM BARR: Yes.

KAMALA HARRIS: You did not question or look at the underlying evidence that supports the conclusions in the report? 

WILLIAM BARR: No.

KAMALA HARRIS: Did, ah, Mr. Rosenstein review the evidence that underlines and supports the conclusions in the report? To your knowledge? 

WILLIAM BARR: Not to my knowledge. We accepted the statements in The Report -

KAMALA HARRIS (over-talking): Did anyone in your -

WILLIAM BARR (over-talking): - and the characterization of the evidence as true.

KAMALA HARRIS: Did anyone in your executive office review the evidence supporting The Report?

WILLIAM BARR: No.

KAMALA HARRIS: No. Yet you represented to the American public that the evidence was not, 'sufficient to support an obstruction of justice offense'.


As Barr says, "see" ("We did not go underneath it - to see") during 2:01, he displays a Lip Curl.

A Lip Curl is a signal of:

• Braggadocio
• Bravado
• Hubris
• Bluster

A lip curl often has an accompanying verbal component of a slight lisp (in people who don't otherwise exhibit a lisp) - which can be heard as William Barr says, "see".


A prolonged eyelid closure (prolonged false blinking) is exhibited during 2:13, just as Kamala Harris says, "that supports the" ("You did not question or look at the underlying evidence that supports the conclusions in the report?"). This lasts for a full second. A normal blink has a duration of 0.100 to 0.150 seconds (with some exceptions, as long as 0.400 seconds).

Such long duration blinking is a form of diminished eye contact. In so doing, Barr is momentarily psychologically blocking Harris - and her confrontation.


During 2:15, just after he says, "No", Barr display an expression of Contempt. It's a bit difficult to see from this camera angle - as it's asymmetrically focused on the right (far) side of his face (a contraction and elevation of the right mouth corner and right half of his 'mustache area'). The rotation of his head partially obstructs our view. However, if you view the video at 1/2 and then 1/4 speed, you'll see it more easily. Next, watch it again at regular speed - and it will jump out at you.


A second later, during 2:16, if you look carefully, you'll see Barr clenching his jaw (circled above in red). In this cluster-context, such jaw clenching signals his anxiety. Watch this at 1/4 and 1/2 speeds as well as normal speed.


A Forward Lip Purse is displayed by Barr (2:25) just after Harris asks, "Did, ah, Mr. Rosenstein review the evidence that underlines and supports the conclusions in the report?"

A Forward Lip Purse signals a clandestine plan and/or an undisclosed disagreement. It's only displayed by people who believe they are the alpha person in the exchange. It's also a sign that they believe they have a significant probability of success.


Senator Harris then further focuses her line of questioning. Just after she says, "Did anyone in your executive...", Attorney General Barr displays an Inward Lip Roll (2:33).

An Inward Lip Roll (ILR) is an attempt by our subconscious/edge-of-conscious mind to suppress both the inward crescendo of emotions - as well as their corresponding outward (facial) expressions.


In the next second, we see a Barr display a Lateral Lip Purse (2:34). When a Lateral Lip Purse (LLP) immediately follows an Inward Lip Roll - it's a perfect example of a nonverbal sentence (aka a "Cluster"). In this context, a Lateral Lip Purse tells us that he's deciding on a course of action, and what, exactly, he's going to say regarding the thought-emotion of which he was trying to suppress in the prior second. These nonverbal juxtapositions have an extremely high correlation with deception and clandestine behavior.


Senator Harris then asks, "Did anyone in your executive office review the evidence supporting The Report?" and Barr answers, "No" (2:40 - 2:41) as he barely shakes his head, side-to-side. Yet, immediately following (during 2:41 - 2:42), as Senator Harris says, "No.", he immediately morphs - moving his head up-and-down rapidly, in affirmation. This verbal-nonverbal contradictory behavior is profoundly telling - and indicative of deception.

Please watch this particular behavior at regular speed as well as in slow motion, several times.


A second later, during 2:43, Barr displays a short burst of very rapid blinking. He repeats this during 2:46. This nonverbal behavior is highly correlated with anxiety.


SUMMARY: Attorney General William Barr's nonverbal, verbal, and paralanguage behavior analyzed in this exchange indicates he lied, under oath, to Senator Kamala Harris when he denied that anyone in his executive office had reviewed - at least a portion of - the evidence contained in the Mueller Report.


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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4384: William Barr's Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on 1 May 2019

Body Language Analysis No. 4383: William Barr's 27 March 2019 Senate Testimony

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. 4376: Jacinda Ardern and Donald Trump - a Study in Contrasts

Body Language Analysis No. 4367: Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer Argue in the Oval Office - The Border Wall and Government Shutdown

Body Language Analysis No. 4323: Part II - Trump Putin Helsinki Summit Press Conference


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