Thread by @DrGJackBrown

THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4397: Donald Trump Defends Himself Against The Whistleblower - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence — — #BodyLanguage #BodyLanguageExpert #EmotionalIntelligence #Nonverbal #DonaldTrump #Ukraine #Whistleblower

1/ President Trump met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday 20 September 2019. After their meeting, the two men took questions from the Press in the Oval Office.

2/ What follows is a partial nonverbal, verbal, and paralanguage analysis of a particularly important portion of that exchange.

3/ In response to a journalist saying, "We want to address this whistleblower story, Sir", the President displays what is known as a Tight Tongue Jut (5:11).

4/ A Tight Tongue Jut is a signal for the thought-emotions of:

• Disgust
• Distaste
• Despising
• Refuting

— for what was just heard or seen.

5/ Mr. Trump then immediately leans his torso away from/pulls away from the journalist to whom he's speaking (5:26) - just after he says, "I've had conversations with many leaders, 're [sic] always appropriate."

6/ This dynamic strongly suggests the President has does not believe — and thus has low confidence in his own statement. Please view this portion of the video, as this still image does not capture his motion.

7/ Crucially, there's also a simultaneous mild expression of fear on the President's face.

8/ Trump then immediately says, "I think Scott can tell you that". Notice his somewhat subtle but highly significant, Suppressed Smile (5:27).

9/ Why is the President smiling in this moment - during a question and answer regarding such a serious subject? A smile, when it's out of context, is always telling.

10/ His partially suppressed smile is related to what Trump also said - cracking a sarcastic, 'joke' (in a passive-aggressive manner) is a manipulative technique often used to escape/jump-start a person out of an emotionally uncomfortable situation/subject.

11/ Now watch this portion of the video again at 0.5 or even 0.25 speed. It's profoundly important to notice, that Trump never looks Prime Minister Morrison in the eye.

12/ An additional component of this smiling out-of-context behavior is associated with a phenomenon known as Duping Delight. Duping delight is a smile which occurs when a person takes true/sincere pleasure in their belief that they've fooled you/gotten away with a deception/plan.

13/ Thus, the real reason for Trump's smile/laughter is camouflaged - if he cracks a 'joke' (or pretends to), he's allowed to smile and/or laugh. But really he's taking pleasure in his belief that he's fooling us.

14/ From a Statement Analysis perspective, Trump's multiple uses of the word, "appropriate" is also highly suspect (three times within five seconds, 5:25 - 5:30).

15/ "Appropriate" is a word which people often use to lend credibility to their opinion. It's a phenomenon of rationalization behavior — a word which pretends to be objective, but it really screams with subjectivity and confirmation bias.

16/ As he says the word, "political" (5:38, "It's just another political hack-job"), the President also displays and interesting expression - an amalgam of both Contempt (note how his mouth is asymmetrical mouth, elevated on his right) and Fear (seen in his forehead and eyes).

17/ When a journalist asked, "At some point did you discuss Joe Biden, his son, or his family?" the President responded, "Ah, it doesn't matter what I discuss, but I will say this, ...". As he says, both "discuss" and "say this", Mr. Trump displayed a Lip Curl (5:46 and 5:47)

18/ A Lip Curl signals the thought-emotions of:

• Bravado
• Hubris
• Braggadocio

19/ A common paralanguage tell often accompanying a lip curl is a slight lisp - in the context of a person who doesn't typically have a lisp. Trump does tend to have this characteristic slight lisp simultaneous with his lip curls.

20/ Just after he says, "... annnd, I always look for the — ah, conversation that's going to help the United States the most, that's very important", Trump exhibits another Tight Tongue Jut (additional disdain, disgust, distaste, and/or repulsion), (6:28).

21/ Take care not to confuse a Tight Tongue Jut with a Loose Tongue Jut or a Wide Open Tongue — for all three behaviors have completely different meanings.

22/ When asked (beginning at 6:26), "Do you know the identity of the whistleblower? Do you know the identity?"

23/ Trump responded, "I don't know the identity of the whistleblower, I just hear it's a partisan person — meaning it comes out from another party. But I don't have, ah, any idea. But I can say it's a totally appropriate conversation. It was actually a beautiful conversation — "

24/ Donald Trump looked down to his right at many times during this segment of this video. One such episode occurred as he said, "have, ah" ("But I don't have, ah, any idea."), (6:37).

25/ He looks down to his right once again (6:42) as he says, "It was" ("It was actually a beautiful conversation — ").

26/ And once again after he says, "and all of those ridiculous charges and all of thee [sic] mistakes made at 'The New York Times' and other places ..." (6:55).

27/ The lower right is the quadrant to which we often look when we're feeling Sadness, Shame, Guilt (both Guilt-Remorse and also Guilt-Culpability) — and Deception.

28/ Why did Mr. Trump feel the need to define 'partisan'? This over-explaining behavior is a common verbal/paralanguage phenomenon accompanying deception. The lying psyche often rationalizes out loud.

29/ Note too the Trump's usage of the pronunciation 'thee', rather than 'the' (often followed by a pause). This stretching of the word is a common paralanguage tell often performed in the act of deceiving. It gives the speaker a split second (or longer) to formulate their lie.

30/ A couple seconds after he says, "... and keep asking questions, and build it up as big as possible, so you can have a bigger downfall" — the President displays an amalgam of anger, regret, and anxiety (7:29).

31/ Taken in isolation, it's difficult to differentiate between the feelings of:

• Regret arising from being caught
vs.
• Regret an unethical act

However, when taken in toto — in the context of the entire video, his feelings become clear. The President regrets being caught.

32/ The President is projecting here — he feels the "built it up" and the "bigger downfall" apply to him. This Freudian slip is foretelling and particularly frightening.

33/ Now go back — a second earlier (7:28), just after he said, "downfall". You'll see that the President, yet once-again, looked down to his right.

34/ Another significant tell is Mr. Trump's claim, "I don't even know exactly who you're talking about" — and yet he also says, "But I can say it's a totally appropriate conversation. It was actually a beautiful conversation ..."

35/ This statement analysis/verbal slip betrays that he knows the specific the conversation and alleged act which is being referenced.

36/ SUMMARY: Not surprisingly, Donald Trump has significant disdain, disgust, and repulsion toward the Whistleblower.

continued ...

37/ The President's body language — as well as his verbal and paralanguage behavior, indicate he's lying during the portion of the video analyzed above. Trump knows the Whistleblower's identity.

continued ...

38/ Crucially, the President exhibits cognitive-emotional dissonance, for while he displays braggadocio and hubris — he also is shows significant fear and anxiety. Mr. Trump also regrets being caught.

continued ...

39/ Trump's Freudian Slip — when he says, "... and keep asking questions and build it up as big as possible, so you can have a bigger downfall"— is projection. He feels this advice applies to himself. It shows us he's a man sensing his own fall — and that he's desperate.

END

Bonus:

https://twitter.com/DrGJackBrown/status/1175191449488412672