Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3889: Donald Trump's Speech from Oval Office After House AHCA Bill Being Pulled - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Yesterday, after the American Health Care Reform Bill was pulled for lack of support, Donald Trump made a statement from the Oval Office.

From a Nonverbal Perspective perspective (as well as from a Public Relations point-of-view) there were a good number of faux pas and insightful tells in this ten-minute video. What follows are some of the highlights.

It diminishes President Trump's power and alpha status to have Mike Pence and Tom Price standing while he was sitting during his speech. While during bill signings/signing ceremonies this "leader-sitting while subordinates are standing" posing is often seen - yet it's a completely different scenario when it's explaining a loss - and when Trump's statement comes from inside the Oval Office. This demonstrated an attempt to "spread the blame" for the Bill's failure.

Additionally, it's also unusual that his Vice President was to his left. The second-in-command should be to Trump's right, whether sitting or standing.

Another highly unusual component of this video was the fact that the camera was hand-held. The continual wobbling of the image is, at best, highly amateurish. This very literal visual instability projects a destructive metaphorical instability to our view of the President.

The image above was Donald Trump's configuration during the first 1.0 second of the 10:03 video. After the first second, this (mid-level) "Conventional Steeple" was no longer seen. In general, Donald Trump uses the conventional steeple far too frequently - but it was not so yesterday. This deviation from his normal baseline behavior is a very strong tell that President Trump felt "very beta" after this AHCA defeat.

Once he begins speaking, but only for the next 6 seconds, as he says, "Thank you very much. We were very close, and it was a very, very tight margin. We had no Democrat support....", the President intertwines his fingers - a signal of frustration.

President Trump then transforms his posture with his right-hand gripping his left forearm while his left-hand closes in a fist. He also leans forward with his elbows bearing a portion of his weight on the desk. This hunches his shoulders while simultaneously foreshortening his neck. His upper arms also held very close to his torso - adding a further protective effect.

While a mild leaning forward is, much of the time, good body language posture for any speaker or leader to use - for it demonstrates engagement and assertiveness (and Donald Trump is better at most at leaning forward), all the other components of this cluster diminish his alpha status - and indeed makes him significantly beta and weak. Throughout most of this video, President Trump maintains this arm position/body language stance (although we can't see it directly for a good portion, it can be inferred by the position of his upper arms and shoulders). This is highly consistent with his - and the GOP's loss (which only just occurred) and it gives us a window into his diminished emotional comfort and lowered confidence.

When, occasionally, he does unclasp his hand-to-forearm, Donald Trump displays this gesture (image immediately above) - where his upper arm move even very closer to his torso - while his lower arms move medially and laterally (in and out). This is also a beta gesture (illustrator). If he were to alter this, by simply keeping his upper arms further away from his torso, it would both up-regulate his emotional-mental state to a higher level - but also project this strength to anyone watching. In contrast, what we see here further betrays Trump's beta thoughts and feelings.

When, at 7:39, Donald Trump is asked, "Do you feel betrayed by the House Freedom Caucus at all? They seemed to be the most difficult...  (cross-talk)", his mouth corners pull laterally with his 'mustache area' tightening, and his lips thin-out.  He also looks left and slightly downward (accentuated by a head-tilt). This entire cluster-configuration is indicative of regret.

Trump then answers with, "No, not particularly. They're friends of mine. I'm disappointed because we could have had it. So I'm disappointed. I'm a little surprised, to be honest with you. We really had it...."

Thus this significant facial expression of regret, just after the question of betrayal, strongly indicates that President Trump does sincerely feel betrayed by the House Freedom Caucus.

Finally, one other body language signal is seen in great abundance in the President's Oval Office statement, yet you must watch the video to see it, for it doesn't capture well with a still image. Donald Trump shrugs his shoulders 40 times in 10 minutes. This averages to 1 shrug every 15 seconds - although most of these occur in the last 60% of the video. Some of these are subtle - being muted by the President's elbows bearing a portion of his weight. An accurate and profoundly valuable body language axiom is: If a person is shrugging with high frequency, they are either trying to convince themselves - or convince you (or both) - and they are trying too hard to do so. It's one nonverbal barometer of their attempt to rationalize and/or to co-opt others in co-rationalization. Ask yourself why - and take heed.


Summary: Not surprisingly, after the GOP's AHCA Bill being pulled, Donald Trump's body language during his follow-up, ten minute Oval Office statement is significantly beta in its emotional tone - which is quite unusual for him.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3888: Paul Ryan's Response to the House's Failure to Overturn Obamacare and Pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017 - "This is a disappointing day for us"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3886: Donald Trump, Russia, Healthcare, and "Huge" Negotiation Faux Pas

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3884: One Important Expression James Comey Displayed Often During His Testimony Before the House Intelligence Committee

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3875: Children Interrupt Dad During BBC News interview

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3860: Ian McKellen, The Oscars and a spot-on Maggie Smith Impression

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3816: Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3789: Felicity Jones, Jyn Erso and Tattoos

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3768: Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies



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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3126: Congressman Aaron Schock and allegations of misuse of taxpayer dollars and campaign funds (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

UPDATE: ARRON SCHOCK HAS RESIGNED FROM CONGRESS (EFFECTIVE 31 MARCH 2015) -
3 DAYS AFTER THIS ORIGINAL POST

Congressman Aaron Schock (R - Illinois) has be accused of misuse of campaign funds as well as tax dollars. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of two recent interviews.

0:11 -  

Inward Lip Roll (ILR)

This is one way the psyche suppresses an inward crescendo and outer expression of emotions when they're far from emotional baseline

0:12

Tightened horizontal thin lips of anger
and tightening of his mustache area along with nostril flaring as well as more tightening of lower eyelids. His eyebrows are vectored downward. Aaron Schock's nonverbal cluster signifies anger in this moment.

0:15

Elevated CFC with this mouth configuration signify fear (subtle mouth component here)

0:23

Multiple Hard Swallows with several Extended Blinks

This Nonverbal Pairing (cluster) is indicative of fear

2:22

Subtle contempt for CNN  reporter Drew Griffin

2:23

Thinned, horizontal lips of anger with his central (inner) eyebrows directed downward and lower lids tightened with nostril flared - more anger

2:23.5

A Tongue Jut immediately
as he looks away indicates "I've been bad" and "I got caught" - this is a display of self-deprecation

 2:23.8

Looks further away

Inward Lip Roll with tightening of his "mustache area", flaring of his nostrils, downward vectored eyebrows and lower lid tension all indicate he is feeling, yet not trying to express significant anger in this moment

 2:29

Another multiple pairing of hard swallows with prolonged eyelid closures

He is in Fear

2:31

Another Tongue Jut signifying his own belief that he's been caught and guilty of bad behavior 

2:40

The lack of forehead contraction in a patchy manner is significant for Botox treatments in this 33 year-old male congressmen overly concerned with image. This practice is consistent with him posing with his shirt off for magazine covers and is also an analog of his lavish spending on his Congressional Office interior decorating mimicking a television show (Downton Abbey). 

Another tongue jut at 3:09 just after CNN reporter Drew Griffin asks, ".... was it appropriate to be spending $27,000 on a professional photographer? ....".

Congressman Schock believes he's been bad and has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

2:19

Disgust with Anger

2:31

Inward Lip Roll (ILR) and mustache area tightening with flared nostrils indicate a suppression of anger

3:33

As Congressman Schock is chauffeured away, he once more displays thin lips of anger










See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3125: Vladimir Putin, Suppressed Smiling & Blushing - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3081: More Bill Belichick Body Language Deception Deflategate Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3083: Marshawn Lynch Interview, "I'm just here so I won't get fined"

Negotiation Secret No.146: Anthony Weiner's Inward Lip Roll

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2817: Rep. Joe Garcia Picks His Ear & Eats it - What his Body Language Really is Saying (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

During a house judiciary meeting last Wednesday, Joe Garcia (D - FL) stuck a finger in his ear and then proceeded to eat the pickings. While this act is certainly repulsive to most, there is more going on here than just a lesson in hygiene gone wrong.

The body language Representative Garcia displays in this moment is an ear screw. He either does not believe the Rep. Suzan DelBene (D - WA) - (who is talking when he commits this nonverbal) - or the person(s) to whom she is addressing (primarily the chairman - Bob Goodlatte, R - VA).

Intriguingly Mr. Garcia is using his middle finger to commit the ear screw. This is one example of a class of nonverbals known as "Partial Emblematic Slips" (Ekman). These are defined as emblems (a local, regional or universal body language symbol) which is less-than-fully-displayed - and more typically but not always involves the hands - and is displayed in a non-standard position (here in ear and not fully isolated from the other digits rather than on direct display in front of one's body). Greater than ninety-nine percent of the time this nonverbal is initiated and carried out subconsciously.

This body language MAP (Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier) indicates that Representative Garcia not only does NOT believe what is being said or the person to whom it's being said - but he is also flipping them the bird as well.

It is not a coincidence that Garcia simultaneously is displaying contempt with the right side of his mid-face (do you see all of these contempt components?).

Here Rep. Garcia's contempt clearly continues.

The partial emblematic slip is again displayed a few seconds later.














See also:

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 343:  Nicolas Sarkozy's Clandestine Thumbs Up - an Emblematic Slip

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 743 and 744:  Sarkozy's Shhhh!  and a Partial Emblematic Slip

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1818:  Political Correctness, a Partial Emblematic Slip  at a Falcon, Colorado Elementary School

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2144:  President Obama's Body Language Tell -  Rescuing Big Bird (with help from another bird) &  Elmo's making a run for the border in a White Suburban 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2740: Matthew McConaughey Tells Us What He REALLY THINKS about the Motion Picture Academy - Body Language, Ear Screws and Deception

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2816: Donald Sterling Interview - Body Language Tells


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2236: John Boehner & the Fiscal Cliff Plan B Failure -Body Language of Duping Delight

At the 0:57 mark of this video, John Boehner (R-OH) displays a great example of a "Duping Delight" nonverbal. It is very brief and indeed is one of many emotions conveyed through what is known as a microexpression (Ekman). If you freeze-frame during this segment (it may take several attempts to get the exact moment), a very evanescent smile can be seen. In its cluster-context, this body language-facial expression strongly suggests that he is withholding some information. Thus it implies that the Speaker of the House believes that his "Fiscal Cliff  Plan B" failed for different reason than the one of which he spoke.

See also:

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 140: Duping Delight Microexpression

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2050: George Zimmerman's Interview on Fox News - Microexpression of Contempt and  Duping Delight

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2093: Ann Curry's Tearful Goodbye - Matt Lauer's Classic "Tongue-in-Cheek" and Duplicitous Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2152:  Second Presidential Debate - 16 October 2012 - Barack Obama's Duping Delight - Benghazi, Libya Attack was an "Act of Terror" - Alpha, Beta, Confidence & Acquiescence ...

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2182: Jennifer Granholm & Newt Gingrich the Day After the 2012 Election - Governor Granholm's Duping Delight and Suppressed Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2216: Senator Jim DeMint's Body Language - Lip Purse, Suppressed Smile, Duping Delight & Retiring Early

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2187: Paula Broadwell with Hearsay on Benghazi Attack - Excerpt from University of Denver Speech and a Body Language form of "Duping Delight"
 

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 399: Sincerity in the U.S. Congress

Unfortunately, we usually see all too much posturing and insincerity from all political parties, in all venues, in all countries. Thus it is refreshing to see this video full of multiple verbal and nonverbal examples of truly sincere emotions this morning in the U.S. House of Representatives as Gabrielle Giffords resigns her seat. 

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 922: Gabrielle Giffords' and Barack Obama's Hug

Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and President Barack Obama are shown in these photos and the video of the same event, hugging just prior to the President's State of the Union Address last night. It is rare to have images of both participants' faces when a hug occurs. This gives us the opportunity to evaluate their nonverbals and thus the sincerity quotient of each person. If a "hugger" has true affection for another - the eyelids should be closed during the hug. Of course, such affection certainly need not be romantic. If the eyes are left open, either there is lack of affection or significant mental distraction is taking place. The times we touch another human being (e.g. hug, kiss, handshake, etc.) are highly impactful, don't come along very often and thus should not be squandered. Here we see true affection displayed between Representative Giffords and President Obama.

Gabby Giffords resigned from the House of Representatives this morning in her continuing effort to recover from injuries suffered during an attack on her and others near Tuscon, Arizona on January 8, 2011.

Please see also: Crime Prevention & Body Language Secret # 10: 3 Killers - What Commonalities?

Heal well Gabby.

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