On Thursday, while in Japan, Vice President Pence was asked about the allegations against Rob Porter, the now-former staff Secretary for President Trump. On Wednesday it was made public that both of Mr. Porter's former wives have accused him of physical and emotional abuse. Jenny Willoughby, his second wife, sought and received an emergency protective order against him. Mr. Porter has denied the allegations and yesterday, after these reports became public, he resigned as President Trump's Staff Secretary. Mr. Porter had been dating Hope Hicks, the White House Communications Director, at the time of his resignation.
What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of Vice President Pence.
FIRST JOURNALIST (beginning at 0:00): Going to turn back to home Ω - there ah - I was wondering if you could ah, comment on the allegations against Rob Porter the ah, President's Staff Secretary. Ah, when were you made avail, ah, aware of those allegations and how - and then, additionally there are reports now that General Kelly and others at the White House had been aware of these allegations for several months and have been trying to deal with them and p- protect him ∆. Do you believe the President is being well served by his senior staff?
VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well let me say, we're standing in Yokota Air Force Base in Japan - we're on our way to The Olympics. Um, and um, I, I learned as I a, awoke this morning - of those developments - and so we'll - we'll comment on any issues affecting the White House staff when we get back to Washington.
ASHLEY PARKER (Second Journalist) : Can I just briefly follow-up on that and ask, this ah, now a number of times when you found out ab- you're the Vice President - you're number two in the administration - where you found out about something very late - after a number of other senior staff below you - even in the West Wing have found out about it. Again, I understand - we're standing in here, but can you comment on why you often seem a little bit out of the loop on some of this major news?
VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: ah, you know it's a great honor for me to serve as vice president - and President Trump [shaking head no] has been incredibly generous with the responsibilities and opportunities he's given me to serve - representing the United States on the foreign stage as we have here in Japan - as we will later today in South Korea 'nd - 'course at The Olympics - and also being involved in the legislative process and I'm [deep inhalation] I'm very grateful for that and um, but we'll, we'll leave those White House staffing matters for when we get back to Washington.
During 0:01, just after the first journalist says, "Going to turn back to home" - the Vice President displays an Inward Lip Roll (ILR). An Inward Lip Roll (notated by the Ω symbol) is an attempt to prevent strong emotions from escalating - both inwardly and from being expressed outwardly.
During 0:18, just after the first journalist says, "... that General Kelly and others at the White House had been aware of these allegations for several months and have been trying to deal with them and p- protect him...", Mike Pence's mouth temporarily takes on a classic regret expression. This is notated by the ∆ symbol.
He also displays an extended blink - in a subconscious effort to dismiss and/or block the comment/thought.
More than any other high-level politician currently in Washington, the Vice President makes the expression captured in the above image:
• Elevated Central Forehead Contraction
simultaneous with a
• Partial Mouth Smile
We all - every human being - makes this expression from time-to-time. It indicates the thought-emotions of:
• Arrogance
• Smug Incredulity
• Contempt
It's crucial to note that all three of these emotions have other expressions.
However, when a person makes this expression often - as Mike Pence does indeed do - it's a highly reliable signal of a:
• Person who is deliberately always acting (and doing a poor job of it), or a
• Sociopath (Antisocial Personality Disorder)
In this context, either possibility is ominous. Moreover, the two populations overlap considerably.
The Vice President displays a Hard Swallow (during 0:55) as Ms. Parker says, "... Again, I understand - we're standing in here, but can you comment on why you often seem a little bit out of the loop on some of this major news?"
A hard swallow (watch his Adam's Apple [thyroid cartilage of the larynx] move up and down) is a strong signal of anxiety.
(Please watch the video, as this dynamic is not captured with a still image)
Just after Ms. Parker says, "... out of the loop ..." (during 0:58), the Vice President displays both:
• Disgust
• Anger
Watch this several times at full and then 1/2 speed. Concentrate on his mid-facial region - specifically between his upper lip and nose - as well as his nostrils.
During 1:03 - 1:04, as the Vice President says, "... President Trump ...", Pence shakes his head side-to-side in a classic NO illustrator. The next words (the rest of the sentence) out of Pence's mouth are:
"... has been incredibly generous with the responsibilities and opportunities he's given me to serve..."
This side-to-side head shake (NO), prior to his verbal statement, indicates Pence's true feelings contradict the words (Pence, in fact, does NOT feel President Trump has been incredibly generous with the responsibilities and opportunities Trump has given him).
(Please watch the video, as this dynamic is not captured with a still image)
Summary: Vice President Pence displayed anxiety, disgust, anger, and deception during this video segment. His chronic display of an Elevated Central Forehead Contraction coupled with a Partial (Suppressed) Mouth Smile is an ominous pattern of behavior in anyone - particularly by such a high-level elected official.
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See also:
Body Language Analysis No. 4199: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, and their Insane Mission Impossible Helicopter Stunt
Body Language Analysis No. 4197: Donald Trump calls people who didn't clap during his State of the Union address "Un-American" and "Treasonous"
Body Language Analysis No. 4195: Tom Brady and the Asymmetrical Smile
Body Language Analysis No. 4193: Hope Hicks, Sexual Attraction, Armpits, and Elbows
Body Language Analysis No. 4181: Ann Curry, Matt Lauer, "Verbal Sexual" Harassment, and NBC
Body Language Analysis No. 4165: Kim Jong-un's New Years Faux Pas
Body Language Analysis No. 4155: Luis Elizondo Interview - Former Military Intelligence Official Who Ran AATIP (The Pentagon's Secret UFO Unit)
Body Language Analysis No. 4136: Seminole Heights/Tampa Florida Serial Killer - Criminal Profiling
Body Language Analysis No. 4087: Harrison Ford Accidentally Punches Ryan Gosling in the Face - Blade Runner 2049
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