Today Fox News aired a new interview with Donald Trump. It was recorded yesterday at Bedminster. What follows is a partial body language analysis of a few crucial nonverbal signals he displayed during this interview:
In this interview, Donald Trump adopted a particular body language behavior that I've only seen him display one other time in the past 9 years (and I've analyzed him thousands of times). What, specifically, was this – and what was its significance given this pattern?...
Donald Trump crossed his ankles when he was sitting. As stated above, for Trump this nonverbal display is extremely rare.
Trump maintained this leg-foot configuration throughout the vast majority of this interview (although the camera was not always showing a wide-angle, so it's possible this was not quite as frequently displayed as the edited version implies).
Regardless of the person being interviewed, with rare exception, this ankle crossing/lower leg crossing is not a wise leg-foot posture to adopt during an interview. Why? Because it both engenders – as well as a sign of – emotional discomfort and lower confidence.
Due to Trump's extreme propensity for keeping both his feet flat on the floor, this change in his behavior is extremely significant. Again, he kept them this way for most of the interview.
When Trump was asked, "What *are* you looking for in a vice president?"
Trump answers, "So you always have to say, and I, I mean it – is if something should happen to the president, ya have to get somebody can [sic] be a good presid't [sic]. Okay? And I think you have to say that..."
Trump's verbal answer, "if something should happen to the president" – is conspicuous and telling. While he may very well have stated qualities he feels are desirable in a vice president before, he's never implied his own mortality in this context.
Now note what his feet [as the camera switches, displaying a wider view] do immediately after he says this – they squirm:
People show anxiety in their feet all the time – most people just don't look at them (or can't see it very often – and rarely directly [most of the time people are also wearing shoes], feet are beneath a table, not on camera, etc.).
Flexing and extending one's toes and the entire foot/feet within our shoes as well as moving the entire foot/feet and lower legs are further nonverbal manifestations of this anxiety.
Now look at Trump's hands. Trump's not displaying his usual low steeple (low conventional steeple) in this moment – rather he's covering his left (non-dominant) hand over his right (dominant) hand.
The position of his hands in relation to his groin is a variation of a seated fig leaf – a further signal of vulnerability – and additionally, fear.
Trump also significantly slouches his shoulders forward while elevating them – dynamically shortening his neck ("Turtling") whilst closing his eyelids during this moment. *Extremely low confidence and emotional discomfort*:
SUMMARY: Trump's foot-leg configuration he adopts throughout the majority of this interview indicates his significantly lowered confidence and emotional discomfort as a result of his 34 Felony Convictions for Election Interference.
Donald Trump's body language (coupled with his verbal language) indicates he has significant anxiety about not living long enough to serve a full second term. Trump is feeling his own mortality – and it's showing.
Inquiries regarding teaching (one-on-one or groups), keynotes, consulting, and press: Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com
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