Body Language Analysis No. 4375: Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Security Clearances - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

 
President Trump reportedly pressured John Kelly (then, his Chief of Staff) as well as Don McGahn (then, White House Counsel) to issue Top Secret security clearances to both his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, despite Kelly's and McGahn's recommendations against it. After the White House Personnel Security Office raised concerns - and both Kelly's and McGahn's refusals - Trump overruled them, granting clearances to his daughter and son-in-law. 

What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of a portion of an interview Ivanka Trump gave on 7 February 2019 in which the subject of possible special treatment of her and Jared's security clearances was raised.

ABBY HUNTSMAN (beginning at 1:00 in the above video): Th - there are a lot of people that question whether - you were given special treatment by the President overriding other -

IVANKA TRUMP: [over-talking] Absolutely not.

ABBY HUNTSMAN: [continuing] officials. Can you - speak to that?

IVANKA TRUMP: There were anonymous leaks about there being issues - buuuut - the President had no involvement - pertaining to my clearance or my husband's clearance - zero.

ABBY HUNTSMAN: [over-talking] What, what were the problems? Early on?

IVANKA TRUMP: There WEREN'T any!

ABBY HUNTSMAN: So no special treatment?

IVANKA TRUMP: No.

At the end of Abby Huntsman's statement (and interrupting Huntsman, before she had asked a question), Ivanka Trump closes her eyelids for a prolonged duration before and as she begins to say, "Absolutely not".

Note that initially, as she speaks the first syllable of the word, "Absolutely" - she begins to shake her head side-to-side (no), moving first to her left - and then back to her mid-line. Then, for the remainder of the word "Absolutely" and, continuing through the word "not", she nods her head, vertically, in the affirmative.

During the last syllable of "Absolutely", if you look carefully, you'll also see another signal - an evanescent one - a microexpression of contempt displayed on the right side (her right) of Ivanka's mid-face. This is subtle - but momentously telling. We cannot say to whom her contempt was directed (Ms. Huntsman, John Kelly, Don McGahn, other White House staff, etc.), but there's no doubt, Ivanka felt contempt in this moment. Please look for this subtlety while watching the video at full speed, then at 1/2 speed, 1/4 speed - and then again at full speed. Repeat this cycle several times. Whenever you see a microexpression, viewing and reviewing it in this manner will enhance your ability to spot these crucial signals.

Ivanka Trump's nonverbal behavior tells us what she was truly thinking-feeling. Her body language betrays her - showing us she was agreeing with Ms. Huntsman's preface - that she and Jared Kushner were given special treatment by the President - thus overriding other senior White House staff's objections regarding their security clearances.

Moreover, the word, "not" is barely audible. Her, again, this paralanguage behavior tells us the truth. So, although she says, "Absolutely not" - unless you're listening carefully, you'll hear, "Absolutely". We could indeed stop the video right here - and this cluster of behavior alone would be a profoundly compelling indication of deception. But let's continue.

Just after Ms. Huntsman asks, "Can you - speak to that?", Ivanka Trump looks down to her right as she begins answering, "There were anon-". This is the quadrant toward which most people look when they're lying.

As she says the word, "leaks", Ivanka displays a feigned expression of fear - morphed with a suppressed smile. This captures a moment of schadenfreude - as the President's daughter expresses joy that some of those individuals doing the leaking were caught.

It's noteworthy here, that the word, "leaks" was spoken with an up-talking and crescendoing vocal characteristic. In this context, simultaneous with this body language - this vocal pattern betrays duplicity.

Then, immediately after she says "leaks", she performs a quick, jerking motion from her right-to-left, in a hair flip. This alpha-swagger dynamic further amplifies her schadenfreude in the catching a White House leaker.

During her next sentence, as she says, "the President" ("... but - the President had no involvement - pertaining to my clearance or my husband's clearance ..."), Ms. Trump again looks down to her right - the quadrant we most often look to during deception.

After Ms. Huntsman asks, "What, what were the problems? Early on?",  Ivanka Trump raises her voice quite dramatically, saying, "There WEREN'T any!".

Notice that her eyes open very widely. Simultaneously, Trump's medial (inner) eyebrows lower (although this is diminished due to the effects of Botox). These nonverbal signals are significant for Anger-Rage.

In addition, the President's daughter shrugs her shoulders at this same time signifying the thought-emotions of:

• I don't know
• I don't care
• What does it matter?
• What could I do?

Another curious display in this moment involves Ms. Trump's voice. She rarely loses her temper in public, but for an instant here, she did just that. And, as her voice elevates in volume - its pitch also increases. Note that her breathy vocal fry disappears during this moment of anger-rage - as she momentarily drops her facade.

After Abby Huntsman asks, "So no special treatment?", Ivanka Trump again shrugs her shoulders and answers, "No" - amidst a prolonged blink.

Listen very carefully to the way Trump answers, "No." Play it over several times. Notice that it's high pitched - and crescendoing. This vocal quality indicates lower confidence. A confident rebuttal would have been spoken with a lower tone - and would be much more likely to decrescendo or plateau.

In addition, and this is subtle, but halfway through the word, "No", her pitch changes - the "o" has two different tones. This vocal pattern also indicates lower confidence in her answer - and again, is consistent with deception.

Summary: Ivanka Trump's nonverbal, verbal, and paralanguage behavior exhibited during this portion of this interview - indicates she is being deceptive - and that President Trump did indeed order that both she and her husband, Jared Kushner, be given top-secret security clearance.



Here's the Rub: to note similar times when someone who you may indeed like and trust - exhibits similar nonverbal behavior (e.g., in everyday scenarios). Would you then be able to spot their deception? If we fall victim to our (very human) confirmation biases - most people NOT be able to spot the lie, the insincerity, and the manipulation - until it's too late. How skilled are you at spotting deception?

Media Inquiries and Group Appearances

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Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4374: Nancy Pelosi's Clap-Back to Donald Trump during the 2019 SOTU

Body Language Analysis No. 4373: Matthew Whitaker's Press Conference regarding Robert Mueller's Investigation

Body Language Analysis No. 4371: "Mr. President ... have you ever worked for Russia? Yes or no?"

Body Language Analysis No. 4370: Donald Trump, Fist-Pumping, and Vladimir Putin at 2017 G20

Body Language Analysis No. 4369: Donald Trump's Border Wall Oval Office Address

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. 4362: Mohammed bin Salman regarding the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Body Language Analysis No. 4360: GE's CEO Larry Culp's CNBC Interview and Subsequent Stock Sell-off

Body Language Analysis No. 4339: Pre-Confession Interview of Murderer, Chris Watts

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Body Language Analysis No. 4273: Natalia Veselnitskaya and The Trump Tower Meeting - "I am an Informant" - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In a recent interview with NBC's Richard Engel, Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian Attorney who was a key participant in the 9 June 2016 Trump Tower meeting - said of her relationship with the Kremlin's Prosecutor General, Yuri Chaika, "I am an attorney and I am an informant".

Ms. Veselnitskaya is, therefore, working with the Russian government - an act which she previously denied. Last November she went on record to the US Senate Judiciary Committee, stating, “I operate independently of any governmental bodies,” - as well as, “I have no relationship with Mr. Chaika, his representatives and his institutions other than those related to my professional functions as a lawyer.” 

In new emails disclosed by Dossier, an organization set up by Mikhail Khodorkovsky - who's an opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin - show that Veselnitskaya was working the Kremlin's Prosecutor General, Yuri Y. Chaika (the Russian equivalent of the US Attorney General) to interfere with an investigation by the US Department of Justice into the business holdings of a powerful Russian businessman (Denis P. Katsyv).

Yet prior to her admission of being "an informant", Ms. Veselnitskaya showed her proverbial cards. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of a crucial portion of her interview.

During 4:51, Ms. Veselnitskaya displays a classic display of Disgust.

Although eyelid closure is not a required component of an expression of disgust - in this setting it serves as a disgust amplifier.

Notice too that Ms. Veselnitskaya's is blushing on her upper chest. Blushing is completely involuntary - and thus cannot be suppressed.

If you have a tendency to blush in this region (which is often independent of facial blushing), it's wise to wear clothing which covers it - when you're involved in significant negotiations, public appearances, or interviews.

During 4:52, Ms. Veselnitskaya displays an excellent example of what is known as an Asymmetrical Blink. An asymmetrical blink is NOT synonymous with a wink - rather it's a blinking (if only for an instant) with only one eye. This example comes at the beginning of an eye roll (see below).

Asymmetrical Blinking is a nonverbal signal indicative of the thought-emotions of:

• Sarcasm 
• Contempt
• Pretentiousness
• Feigned Disbelief

A split-second later we immediately see an Eye Roll - which Indicates:

• Contempt
• Impatient Dismissal

(Note her mouth and mid-facial region continues to project disgust)

A second later (4:53) we see a second Asymmetrical Blink.

Summary: Along with the emotions of Sarcasm, Contempt, and Pretentiousness - an Asymmetrical Blink is a dead giveaway for the thought-emotion of Feigned Disbelief. When you see this nonverbal signal - always ask yourself, "Why is this person trying so hard to convince me?"

... or in the words of William Shakespeare, "The Lady doth protest too much, methinks".

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Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4272: Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in Holding Hands - Alpha and Beta

Body Language Analysis No. 4270: Donald Trump Brushes Dandruff off Emmanuel Macron

Body Language Analysis No. 4268: Benedict Cumberbatch, Schadenfreude, and The Grinch

Body Language Analysis No. 4254: Tony Robbins, Nanine McCool, and the #MeToo Movement

Body Language Analysis No. 4240: Cambridge Analytica's Alexander Nix (Part I)

Body Language Analysis No. 4198: Lupita Nyong'o, Black Panther, and Attention to Detail

Body Language Analysis No. 4130: Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King regarding Charlie Rose

Body Language Analysis No. 4064: The Murder of Laci Peterson - Part II - A Red Flag Conspicuous by its Absence

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3896: Did Matthew Perry Really Beat Up Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?

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Body Language Analysis No. 4035: Hope Hicks, Jared Kushner, and Phone Tells - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

Hope Hicks, was recently named the interim White House Communications Director by President Trump. She is pictured above during a phone call in the lobby of Trump Tower.

Note how Ms. Hicks has her left arm across her lower chest/upper abdomen. This amounts to one-half of a full arms-crossed MAP (Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier). It's a body language posture which signals low confidence and low emotional comfort. People don't stand like this when they're confident - or when they are giving or receiving good news.

A nuance which may have escaped you is the position of Hope Hick's left hand. It's oriented palm-upward - which amplifies her beta emotional tone. Had her palm been directed downward, it would have been a bit more alpha.

Now look carefully at Ms. Hick's right hand - holding the phone. Notice all her fingers are relatively parallel. This also indicates her emotions, in this moment, are relatively beta.

Contrast Hope Hicks with Jared Kushner, pictured below. His index finger is held separately and directed vertically - with the other three fingers grouped together (roughly perpendicular to the index finger). This configuration is indicative of alpha emotions. Not surprisingly, this isolated/upward directed index-finger manner of holding a phone holding is virtually never seen simultaneously with one-arm across the torso.


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

See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4034: Steve Bannon's Critical Evaluation

Body Language Analysis No. 4032: John Kelly's Reaction to Donald Trump's Press Conference Regarding the Events in Charlottesville

Body Language Analysis No. 4030: Charlottesville, Empathy, and One Expression Donald Trump Should Have Displayed

Body Language Analysis No. 4028: Donald Trump's Response to Charlottesville Violence, "On Many Sides"

Body Language Analysis No. 4002: Justin Trudeau Meets His Namesake

Body Language Analysis No. 3971: Elon Musk, Amber Heard, Affection, and Ownership

Body Language Analysis No. 3951: Angela Merkel, Donald Trump, the G7 Summit, and The Paris Agreement

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3911: Simone Biles gets Pranked on "Ellen"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3853: Tom Hiddleston, a School Play and Eddie Redmayne


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Body Language Analysis No. 3957: Sergei Gorkov, Jared Kushner, and Secret Meetings - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In this video, Sergei Gorkov, the Russian Banker (an alleged spy) who met with Jared Kushner in December 2016 (the focus of an FBI investigation) is asked a question by a journalist (Matthew Chance) regarding the nature of his meeting with Kushner.

The White House is on record saying that the two men discussed US-Russian government relations, while Govkov's bank, VneshEconomBank (Russia's state bank aka VEB), has indicated their meeting was one of a private, real estate business nature. VEB has been under US sanctions for about three years as a partial punishment for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kushner failed to disclose his meeting with Gorkov in his security vetting.

Immediately after the question, and with very short duration, Gorkov's eyelids open significantly wider than his baseline. This moment is captured in the image immediately above. Most people would label his response as surprise. But Sergey Gorkov was indeed expecting this question. This was an act - albeit a pretty good one. How do we know?

A split second prior, we see Gorkov's eyebrows elevate while, at the same time, his eyelids are briefly closing. This is a very unnatural motion, it's conscious, and is indicative of expectation. That these two tissues, so close in proximity, would simultaneously move in opposite directions, betrays his foreknowledge.

A few seconds later, just before he enters a room, Gorkov displays a tightened mid-face. This is seen particularly well in his "mustache area" and with the flaring of his nostrils. This nonverbal cluster is indicative of disgust for the journalist and/or his line of questioning. His partial eyelid closure, while not required in the expression of this emotion, is in this context, a disgust amplifier.

This image is from an earlier portion of the same video. Note that the entire width of Gorkov's forehead is contracted. This is a common component of anyone's occasional facial expression. Yet when a person's forehead contracts too frequently (which doesn't take much) - it's an extremely reliable indicator of overall insincerity (This is not to say, however, that a relaxed forehead equates with sincerity). An image search for Sergey Gorkov will yield a host of images which show an extremely disproportionate percentage with this characteristic.

Summary: Gorkov has a strong indicator of overall insincerity. He is acting - and he's good at it. Moreover, in this interaction with a journalist, Gorkov fully anticipated the question regarding Jared Kushner.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
1-702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 3956: Keri Russell's Tongue

Body Language Analysis No. 3954: Donald Trump, "Covfefe", and a Facial Expression which Should Always Raise Red Flags

Body Language Analysis No. 3952: Emmanuel Macron's Handshake with Donald Trump at NATO Summit

Body Language Analysis No. 3950: Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, and Donald Tusk at the G7 

Body Language Analysis No. 3933: Sally Yates Testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3912: Keri Russell's Schadenfreude, Matthew Rhys' Fear, and a Hesitancy to Disclose

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3901: Jared Kushner in Iraq

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3856: "Belle" Clip - Beauty and the Beast

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3654: Hope Solo Calls Swedish Team "Cowards" after US Loss in Rio

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2748: Tatia Pilieva's Brilliant Video "First Kiss"


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3901: Jared Kushner in Iraq - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

It is said among insiders that Jared Kushner shows an "unwavering loyalty" toward his father-in-law. He has rapidly come to be Donald Trump's most trusted advisor. Kushner's assignments include negotiating an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, overseeing relationships with China, Canada, and Mexico (triple ambassadorship), the chief of the new White House Office of American Innovation, fixing the opioid epidemic - and increasingly he's assuming the role of what is essentially the de facto Secretary of State.

Earlier this week Mr. Kushner made a surprise trip to Iraq. The photo above is from that trip - and not surprisingly, it has drawn tremendous criticism.

From a purist's perspective, the clothes we wear are not considered part of our body language vocabulary - but the purists are sorely mistaken.

Our clothes are profound nonverbal illustrators - for they are extensions of our face/body and much of the time project our personality as well as the context of our mental state. In some settings this principle certainly applies more so than others. In nonverbal parlance, the term "Illustrator" describes a subset of body language signals we display (>99.9+% subconsciously) to emphasize, underline, italicize and act as exclamation-points for other aspects of our verbal communication and behavior.

If Jared Kushner would have donned semi-military garb - or at least jeans and a T-shirt, no one would have thought it unusual. But by choosing to highlight himself and moreover looking extremely Brooks Brothersesque while doing so, he dramatically and arrogantly distances himself from those people with whom he's attempting to build rapport. It sends signals of aloofness, ignorance, incompetence - and a complete lack of empathy. Kushner is very much saying, "I have to be here, but I don't want to" as well as, "I belong to the country club - and you don't". Indeed, many of those in Iraq (or others simply viewing this image) would interpret his choice of garb in this setting as a nonverbal equivalent of a middle finger shoved in their (our) collective faces'.

"When you visit the land of others, take a friend with you, but leave your laws at home."

Inuit Proverb

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3900: Donald Trump's Statement Regarding US Retaliation for Syria's Chemical Weapons Attack

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3898: President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Meet at The White House 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3896: Did Matthew Perry Really Beat Up Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3890: Ted Koppel on why he thinks Sean Hannity is bad for America 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3842: Bill Belichick and Julian Edelman 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3763: Matt Smith, Claire Foy and Where NOT to be stung by a Wasp

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3716: Fatherhood, Body Language, Emotional Intelligence and Ashton Kutcher's Pants

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3707: The Presidential Debates Part III - Donald Trump v. Hillary Clinton and Sniffing


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3891: Donald Trump and Jared Kushner - Alpha and Beta Tells - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

When Jared Kushner testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding Russian interference in the US Presidential Election, those questioning him would be well advised to evaluate his body language at least as much as his verbal responses. And while certainly Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor won't be on his cell phone during these proceedings, the images here provide body language examples of contrasting emotional states.

When a person holds a mobile phone with their index finger (forefinger) extended along the long axis of the phone, as Jared Kushner is doing in this image (close-up in the image immediately above of the wide angle below) they're in an alpha mental state. More specifically, they are either receiving or delivering messages which are in their favor - or they are speaking to a person with whom they perceive as a beta.

When a person holds their cell phone with all their fingers on one side of the phone with their thumb on the other side - they are in a relatively beta mental state. They are getting or delivering news which is less in their favor. And while the President of the United States has relatively few people who make him feel more beta - even the most powerful people are still human - and thus have frequent moment-to-moment fluctuations in their relative alpha-beta emotional states.

Thus while watching a person as they are speaking on their phone, and you observe the index finger change position and proceed to extend up and alone - you know they've just fluxed into a higher level of confidence, assertiveness, decisiveness, and power. And when you see the index finger return back - grouped with the other fingers - they have down-regulated into a relatively beta state.

The barometers of body language have many qualifiers and quantifiers - read them well and succeed.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3890: Ted Koppel on why he thinks Sean Hannity is bad for America

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. 3871: Emma Watson's Old Habit, Harry Potter Outtake and Anxiety

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3862: Oscars Mistake - "La La Land" erroneously named Best Picture over "Moonlight"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3823: Nina Dobrev, Flyboarding, Laughter and a Rapport/Bonding Amplifier

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3792: Notre Dame's Matt Farrell and Family Surprised by Brother Bo's Military Homecoming at Basketball Game

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3711: Vin Scully calls Kirk Gibson's legendary walk-off homer during Game 1 of the 1988 World Series


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