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".


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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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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2369: Pat Toomey Announces Boston Marathon Bombings on Senate Floor - Body Language of Sincerity and Empathy

Today on the Senate floor, Pat Toomey (R - Penn) announced the bombings at the Boston Marathon. At the beginning of the video above, Senator Toomey says, "I would like to begin by ah, actually taking a moment to ah, inform the members of this body ah people who maybe listening, if you weren't aware, ah it appears that a tragedy has struck at the Boston Marathon ..."

At the 0:02 second mark Senator Toomey rubs his nose with his right hand just after he says, "I would like to begin by ah ..." Of course very few people would ever "like to" make such an announcement - particularly in such a setting. However leaders must lead and free societies this does not include keeping people uninformed. So strictly speaking, although he was by no means lying in the classic sense, when he said, "I would like to begin ...", this was false. He would have much rather the tragedy not have taken place. He is emotionally processing the event. So this is an interesting example of a form of a lie - a manner of speech, when no deception was intended. Yet the nonverbal display of the nose touch/rub signals us that in fact a falsehood was uttered. Ironically in this context - this "white lie" is a display of sincerity.

Senator Toomey's two jacket adjustments (during 0:05 - 0:06) in body language nomenclature are known as "Self Preening". In this cluster context they indicate a relative lack of comfort.

Pat Toomey displays a right cheek touch at 0:17 - another significant anxiety tell.

Throughout this entire short video, one or both of Pat Toomey's hands are in his front pants pockets. This nonverbal signals low comfort and withdrawal. When a person is configured in this manner during speaking - it tells us he would rather not be talking. Most everyone would feel similarly in his shoes. 

In addition, throughout much of this video the Senator's central forehead is contracted (CFC). When the central forehead muscles contract (with the peripheral forehead relaxed) with simultaneous painful, sad (as Toomey does) or fearful mouth expressions - this indicates pain. Such pain is either emotional or physical and being experienced directly or felt secondarily via empathy. People who display such clusters have high empathy quotients. Pat Toomey is feeling sincere empathy for the victims.

Interestingly and a very valuable tell (not seen here) are those who display the CFC in the context of a smile (even a subtle one). We all do this occasionally, however when such nonverbal behavior is observed often - it is a huge red flag. Stay away from those who use the "CFC + smile" body language chronically - they are not to be trusted.

My condolences to the victim's and their loved-ones.

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2208:  President Obama & Mitt Romney in the Oval Office -  Multiple Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2074:  Mitt Romney and Senator Kelly Ayotte  What Body Language Tells?

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2042:  Syrian Government Defector - Nawaf al-Fares

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1910:  Natasha Smith Sexually Assaulted in Tahrir Square - Post Assault Interview

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