Body Language Analysis No. 4223: Donald Trump to Republican Senator, "You're Afraid of the NRA" - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

President Trump has flip-flopped regarding his stance on gun control in the last several days. However, to say that he, "Surprised everyone" during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday 28 February - would be a dramatic understatement. What follows is a nonverbal analysis of one key moment of that meeting.

DONALD TRUMP (continuing at 2:22): ... It doesn’t make sense that - I have to wait 'til I’m twenty-one to get a handgun, but I can get this - weapon at  - eighteen. I dunno [up-talking]. So I was just curious as to what you did in your bill? You don't address it.

PAT TOOMEY: We didn’t address it, Mr. President, but I think we -

DONALD TRUMP: You know why? ‘Cause you’re afraid of the NRA, right?

After President Trump's retort to Senator Toomey, Trump smiled.

Trump's smile was a sincere smile (aka a Duchenne Smile). This particular emotional expression is a rare event for Donald Trump - truly quite unusual. All politicians' smile - yet they are uncommonly sincere - and with President Trump, sincere smiles are extremely unusual.

Note all the components of a sincere smile are present in the above image (from 2:36 in the video):

• Eyelids Partially Closed
• Dynamic, concave-up Furrow in each lower eyelid
• Relaxed forehead muscles
• Only upper teeth visible (a trace of his lower teeth can be seen due to the elevated camera angle)
• Primarily Upward-vectored cheek muscles and mouth

Summary: Donald Trump took sincere pleasure - experiencing a moment of rare true joy-happiness - in his act of calling-out Pat Toomey, a Republican Senator - on camera - saying that Toomey was "afraid of the NRA".


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4222: Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird, and Embarrassment Anxiety

Body Language Analysis No. 4220: President Trump's Reaction to Governor Jay Inslee ("We need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening")

Body Language Analysis No. 4219: Ivanka Trump's Reaction to Question regarding Donald Trump's Sexual Assault Accusers

Body Language Analysis No. 4217: Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther, Anxiety, and Alpha Up-Regulation

Body Language Analysis No. 4188: Donald Trump Gets Booed at Davos for Calling the Press "Fake"

Body Language Analysis No. 4147: Alabama Senator Richard Shelby regarding Roy Moore

Body Language Analysis No. 4126: Jeff Sessions' Joking regarding Kislyak/Russia

Body Language Analysis No. 4099: Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, and Jim Leavelle

Body Language Analysis No. 4037: Charlottesville Protester Quits Boston University after Death Threats


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Body Language Analysis No. 4220: President Trump's Reaction to Governor Jay Inslee ("We need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening") - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

On Monday 26 February 2018, at the National Governors Association Meeting, Gov. Jay Inslee confronted President Trump regarding his idea of arming teachers. Among other things, Governor Inslee said, "... So I just suggest that we need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening and let's just take that off the table and move forward."

What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of some key moments of the Governor's and the President's exchange. 

Most everyone noticed the President crossing his arms while twisting/rotating his torso.

More specifically, virtually every time Donald Trump crosses his arms, he does so in a hands-hidden fashion. This nonverbal configuration projects the beta emotions of close-mindedness, defensiveness, low emotional comfort, and low confidence.

The twisting of his torso is significant for impatience and frustration.

There is also a significant likelihood that the President's increasing tendency to hide his hands - as well as his inability to remain motionless - suggests a contributing factor of a possible movement disorder or tremor-like condition the etiology of which may be a primary CNS disease or a drug side-effect.

In addition, the President's eye contact was poor while Governor Inslee was speaking. We don't look at people who we don't trust/believe, don't like, and/or who we disrespect.

During 1:04, as Governor Inslee was speaking and just as the President was in the process of crossing his arms (hand hidden crossing), he displayed a Tight Tongue Jut.

A tight tongue just indicates the thought-emotions of disdain, disgust, and repulsion.

(It's important not to confuse this with either a Loose Tongue Jut or a Wide Open Tongue Jut - each of which has completely different meanings)

Did you notice the President display any other Tight Tongue Juts?

From 0:40 to 0:47, and very briefly during 1:03, President Trump exhibits a Forward Lip Purse. This is a profoundly valuable nonverbal display for it indicates an:

• Undisclosed (partially or fully) Disagreement and/or a
• Clandestine Plan 

Of course, we know the President's proposed plan of arming teachers - this was not a secret. Yet for a few moment's he was not speaking and kept his disagreement to himself. Moreover, he quickly came up with a plan - he would call on Governor Greg Abbott of Texas to speak on his experience in his state where some teachers have, in fact, been armed. At the very end of this video, the President can be seen calling on the Texas Governor.

This is an excellent example of Forward Lip Pursing in action showing us what the President was thinking-feeling - and also what he was planning. The vast majority of the time, disagreements and plans are NOT verbalized and thus remain secret (except to those who know nonverbal secrets).


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 3399 (REPOSTING): Donald Trump, a Bald Eagle, and Fear 

Body Language Analysis No. 4218: Dana Loesch, Threat Assessment, and Red Flags

Body Language Analysis No. 4216: NRA's Dana Loesch's Reaction to Sheriff Scott Israel at Stoneman Douglas HS Town Hall

Body Language Analysis No. 4214: Donald Trump's Listening Session on Preventing School Shootings

Body Language Analysis No. 4193: Hope Hicks, Sexual Attraction, Armpits, and Elbows

Body Language Analysis No. 4183: Aly Raisman, Larry Nassar, and USA Gymnastics

Body Language Analysis No. 4179: Senator Dick Durbin questions Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen

Body Language Analysis No. 4205: Chloe Kim, Albert Einstein, and Creativity

Body Language Analysis No. 4114: Robert Mueller, Critical Evaluation, and the Double-L

Body Language Analysis No.4156: President Trump's Cabinet Meeting - Crossing Arms and Excessive Motion


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Body Language Analysis No. 3399 (REPOSTING): Donald Trump, a Bald Eagle, and Fear - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Multiple requests for a re-posting of this article (from 2015) have been made in the last 24 hours. It's included here in its entirety (with updated cross-reference links at the end of the article).

The latest Donald Trump video is obviously not to his liking - and understandably so. Although far from Daniel Day-Lewis, the businessman-turned-politician normally has a somewhat better control of his facial expressions compared with most candidates. This video, however, shows us a very candid exception.

In August 2015, when the Republican was posing with a bald eagle (named "Uncle Sam") for a Time magazine cover, Trump demonstrated several key, but non-flattering nonverbal faux pas.

In this split second, we can see Trump invading the personal (intimate) space of Uncle Sam. Yet the raptor, it seems, is much quicker than the republican.




Animals, of course, are no different than people when it comes to proxemic principles - if they don't know you well AND if you don't share a good rapport - they will NOT welcome you into their intimate space.

This morning during a phone interview on "Fox & Friends", Steve Doocy asked Mr. Trump, "Were you a little frightened by that bird?". Trump replied, "No, not really."

Note the expression on Mr. Trump - particularly his mouth. His sudden, tightening and lateral vectoring (with down-turned corners) of his mouth is a classic "mouth of fear".

A split second later we see Trump's "fear mouth" become even more extreme.










Body Language take-home points:

1. Only enter the personal/intimate space of another if:
    A. They know you, AND
    B.  You have good mutual-rapport

2. Although there are certainly human, cultural variations with regards to personal space (proxemics)
    tolerances, it is a deeply ingrained and highly physiologic phenomenon which is exhibited
    cross-species.

3. Donald Trump Lied. He was indeed quite frightened by Uncle Sam the Bald Eagle.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com 


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4219: Ivanka Trump's Reaction to Question regarding Donald Trump's Sexual Assault Accusers

Body Language Analysis No. 4217: Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther, Anxiety, and Alpha Up-Regulation 

Body Language Analysis No. 4215: NRA's Dana Loesch at CPAC: "Many in Legacy Media Love Mass Shootings" 

Body Language Analysis No. 4212: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Responds to Questions about President Trump's Tweet Regarding the FBI and the Florida School Shooting 

Body Language Analysis No. 4173: California Mud Slides - Rescue and Surprise

Body Language Analysis No. 4153: Watching The Thomas Fire

Body Language Analysis No. 4111: Selena Gomez, Francia Raisa, and a Kidney Transplant

Body Language Analysis No. 4097: Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, and a Tennis Tongue Tell

Body Language Analysis No. 4052: Hitler's Cryptorchidism and Emotional Dissonance



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Body Language Analysis No. 4216: NRA's Dana Loesch's Reaction to Sheriff Scott Israel at Stoneman Douglas HS Town Hall - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Along with Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, and other students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School - Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel as well as the NRA's Dana Loesch - all took part in CNN's Town Hall meeting on Wednesday 21 February 2018, just one week after a mass shooting took the lives of seventeen of their fellow students and faculty. What follows is an analysis of a crucial nonverbal reaction of Ms. Loesch's toward Sheriff Israel.

Beginning at 10:49, Sheriff Israel continues, "But - lastly, we do need to have some gun control reform. Eighteen-year-olds should never have a rifle. An eighteen-year-old kid should not have a rifle. Eighteen-year-old kid, they're, they're not adults yet - they're goin', they're in high school. These kids should not have a rifle. Bump stocks should be illegal - they should be outlawed forever. Automatic rifles should be outlawed forever - and anybody who says different - I don't know about other people, but Amber and I - we're calling BS on that." Ω  ∑

Just as Sheriff Israel finishes his statement (during 11:17) Dana Loesch projects an overt disgust expression ( Ω symbol notation in the above dialog). Notice, in particular, her mid-face tightening (e.g, just above her upper lip) together with flaring of her nostril(s).

About a second later (11:18), Ms. Loesch continues her disgust display along with an added, secondary element of contempt (a slight, left-sided predominant [her left] "snarl" configuration, as notated by the ∑ symbol). Her partial upper eyelid closure - although not a required component of either disgust or contempt - acts as an amplifier for both emotional displays.

Summary: The NRA's Dana Loesch feels both disgust and contempt for Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel and his stance on gun control. Each of these emotions engenders a high amount of retaliatory potential.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4215: NRA's Dana Loesch at CPAC: "Many in Legacy Media Love Mass Shootings"

Body Language Analysis No. 4212: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Responds to Questions about President Trump's Tweet Regarding the FBI and the Florida School Shooting

Body Language Analysis No. 4210: Rod Rosenstein's Hesitancy to Disclose

Body Language Analysis No. 4207: Stoneman Douglas High School shooting (Parkland, Florida), Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan, and Empathy

Body Language Analysis No. 4205: Chloe Kim, Albert Einstein, and Creativity

Body Language Analysis No. 4182: North, South Korea, and the Olympics

Body Language Analysis No. 4164: Emmanuel Macron's Rapport Destroyer

Body Language Analysis No. 4125: Michael Flynn, Trick Arrows, and Suppressing Strong Emotions

Body Language Analysis No. 4088: Kit Harington's April Fools' Prank on Rose Leslie



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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3426: Barack Obama, Executive Action, Gun Control and Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.

Earlier today Barack Obama announced several specific executive actions he will be initiating regarding gun control. During his speech, when he brought up the Shooting at Sandy Hook, the President shed some tears. From a body language perspective, during 1:09 - 1:11, you can see the President's jaw thrust laterally (to his left). In this cluster-context, his jaw movement is indicative of an effort (partially subconscious, partially conscious) toward the suppression of sincere tears.

Of course in this setting we can see the President is indeed crying - yet many times, a person's emotions and pre-tears status are not so obvious or seen by most people (e.g., He made a similar movement to his right during 0:14). Moreover, often times this technique (and others) work well - with eyes never turning red and with no tears are being shed (however it's profoundly valuable to have this extra level of insight into someone's psyche).

There are many other nonverbal signals commonly displayed when someone is trying not to cry. How many can you name?

Lateral Jaw Thrust Left with secondary tongue component

1:09 - 1:11

Lateral Jaw Thrust Right

0:14














See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3425: Donald Trump's first Campaign Ad Commercial

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2705: Congressman Michael Grimm Apology - Sincere or Not?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3099: Jon Stewart Announces he's Leaving "The Daily Show" - A Classic Body Language Cluster

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3221: Gov. Nikki Haley Choking Back Tears - is She Sincere? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3058: Stuart Scott's ESPY Award Speech - a Common Yet Very Under-appreciated Signal of Sadness/Grief Suppression 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2617: Walter Cronkite Announces President John Kennedy's Death - Body Language and Suppression of Grief

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2639: Denver School Shooting and a Body Language of High Empathy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2231: A Common Facial Expression of Mass Killers - Using Body Language as a Threat Assessment Tool


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2335: Ted Cruz & Dianne Feinstein - Gun Control, Body Language and Condescending Signals

This video of Senators Ted Cruz and Dianne Feinstein encapsulates a few moments of the current argument regarding gun control. As in all posts on this blog, this is not an instrument of political agenda - rather it is to teach nonverbal communication in a real-world context. Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Communists and all other politicians are fair game. We all are human. Through our subconscious and sometimes our conscious minds' - we all exhibit and interpret body language constantly.

Throughout very significant portions of this video, Senator Cruz's central forehead is contracted. Sometimes called the "grief muscle", the central forehead contracts when there is significant emotional or physical pain - either being experienced directly or secondarily, for other people(s) or animal(s) via empathy. In the absence of these contexts, it has a very different meaning. At the very best it signifies a contemptuous incredulity, as well as arrogance and smugness. It will have strong messages of a patronizing attitude (and although not implied here with Senator Cruz, over longer time frames - if a person constantly displays this central forehead contraction (CFC) in the absence of such emotional or physical pain - it signals traits of his or her personality - that of insincerity or worse).

So although Senator Feinstein was indeed responding to what she heard, she was also very much responding to what she saw - in Senator Cruz's nonverbal signals of condescension.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2140: Joran van der Sloot's going to be a father -  Body Language Signs of Chronic Insincerity

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2287: Ronaiah Tuiasosopo on Dr. Phil Interview -  Part II - A Body Language Signal that's a Red Flag

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2310: Oscar Pistorius' Body Language in Court - Part II  Central Forehead Contraction, Frown & Pupil Dilation ....

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2171:  Charlie Bit My Finger!  One Body Language Signal Always Seen With Significant Pain

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2259: Game Show Killer Rodney Alcala Gets Two More Sentences - His Body Language Warning Signs

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2124:  This Body Language-Facial Display  Should always make you think "Insincere"

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1439:  Central Forehead Contraction & Inward Lip Roll  Devon Davis & April Davis

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