Thread by @DrGJackBrown

THREAD: Body Language Analysis No.4406: Attorney General Bill Barr's comments on Jeffrey Epstein's Death —  — #BillBarr #JeffreyEpstein #DonaldTrump #BodyLanguage
#BodyLanguageExpert #Nonverbal #EmotionalIntelligence

1/ Almost three months ago, on 10 August 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier, and convicted sex offender, was found unresponsive in his cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

2/ Michael M. Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein's family, said he believes Epstein's autopsy suggests homicide rather than suicide. However, the chief medical examiner of New York City is standing by her initial conclusion that Epstein killed himself by hanging.

3/ On 12 August 2019, Attorney General William Barr made a brief and general statement regarding Epstein's death. What follows is a partial nonverbal, verbal, and paralanguage analysis of Barr's comments.

4/ The video begins with AG Barr saying, "Before I begin, I'd like to — briefly address news from the Manhattan — Correctional Center over the weekend regarding Jeffrey Epstein."

5/ Note Barr's deliberate use of pauses. His vocal pattern is staccato-like. He also stretches out the name, "Jeffrey Epstein". This staccato manner of speaking strongly correlates with hyper-alpha, controlling personalities.

6/ Barr's forehead adopts four different configurations, in the approximately 1.5 seconds it takes for him to say, "Jeffrey Epstein".

7/ This first image (immediately above) was captured as he begins to speak the "J" of "Jeffrey". Note his forehead is mildly horizontally furrowed, although these are primarily passive wrinkles (0:08.8 second mark).

8/ This next image shows Barr saying the "ff" of "Jeffrey" (0:09.2 seconds). Note his forehead eyebrows are considerably lower, particularly his central forehead. His eyelids have also partially closed.

9/ The horizontal furrows across his forehead remain primarily passive (swallow). The vertical furrow above his nose is significantly deeper (contraction of corrugator supercilii muscles).

10/ In this image, Barr is saying the "st" of "Epstein" (0:09.8 second mark). Notice how his central forehead is now contracted and elevated. His inner (medial) eyebrows are also contracted and pulled upward.

11/ Just after he finishes saying, "Epstein" (0:10.3 second mark), Barr's entire forehead elevates (not just the central portion) along with his eyebrows. Only a trace of the vertical furrow on the upper portion/bridge his nose remains.

12/ Watch this 1.5 second duration forehead/eyebrow change at normal speed, at 1/2, 1/4, and again at normal speed, as the above still images don't capture the dynamics of the video. Repeat this viewing several times.

13/ Rarely will you see this rapid of a change in the 1.5 seconds it to speak a person's name. This quick sequence is a strong nonverbal pattern of cognitive-emotional dissonance. In short, Barr has mixed thought-emotions regarding Epstein.

14/ Immediately after he says, "Jeffrey Epstein", Barr looks down. He does not want to look at the camera. Lack of eye contact at this specific time is profound.

15/ He also dramatically retracts his jaw while simultaneously clenching it. This is accompanied by dimpling on the front of his chin. This nonverbal cluster in dynamic context indicates a hesitancy to disclose.

16/ The tissue in his mustache region is also contracted and dramatically bunched, indicating frustration.

17/ The long pause, after Barr said, "This sex trafficking case ..." (0:14 - 0:16) is a variation of paralanguage affectation. It was fully conscious, acted, and performed for effect — another staccato-like vocal/paralanguage display.

18/ Barr continues at 0:16, saying, "... was very important to the Department of Justice [another long staccato pause] and ..."

As soon as he says, "and", Barr closes his eyes in a prolonged blink (0:19).

19/ Before he finishes his sentence, "... and to me personally" — he looks down with both his head and eyes (0:20). Again, why the dual crucial lack of eye contact (closing his eyes as well as looking away from the camera) if the case was important to him personally?

20/ When an individual makes open verbal declarations of sincere personal priority, firm conviction, and claims of truth, these should be made in concert with their eye contact. Conversely, a lack of eye contact when making such claims should always raise red flags.

21/ During 0:48 - 0:50, we see Bill Barr display an intense Inward Lip Roll (ILR). An inward lip roll is a signal of one's psyche attempting to prevent strong emotions from crescendoing further.

22/ This particular variation of an ILR is performed with the jaw closed and significantly clenched (versus with the lips curled in between the upper and lower teeth) — indicating frustration. Barr's jaw is also jutting forward — a signal of an adrenaline surge.

23/ During 0:54, a split-second after he says, "I was appalled — and indeed the whole department was", Barr's forehead contracts and elevates along with his eyebrows, while his upper eyelids close.

24/ Whenever these two adjacent tissues move in opposite directions (forehead/eyebrows go up but eyelids move down), particularly when coupled with a personal declarative statement ("I was appalled") — it's an intense red flag of insincerity.

25/ He continues, "and frankly — angry" (0:55). Within Barr's pause between the words, "frankly" and "angry" is the most telling moment of this entire video.

26/ In this instant, there's a monumental example of a microexpression. Barr shows us a split-second smile (the mouth component of a smile).

27/ It's not a full mouth smile, and it's not even a sincere smile (true/Duchenne smile) — but it *does* tell us that Barr is feeling joy-happiness despite saying he's "angry". Watch it again.

28/ This is NOT even close to an expression of anger. When he claims anger, his face was sending out a signal of pleasure. Why was Bill Barr feeling happy?

29/ Moreover, whenever a partial mouth or pseudo-mouth smile is accompanied by an elevated central forehead contraction (as seen dramatically in this image), it's a five-alarm fire.

30/ We all (occasionally) make this expression (but hopefully not too often) when we feel:

• Smug Incredulity
• Arrogance
• Contempt

(Note, all three of these thought-emotions may be manifested by other facial expressions)

31/ However, individuals who display this expression often, or when it's accompanied by this microexpression of a pseudo- or partial mouth smile — it's a particularly powerful signal of manipulation. Take heed, for you are being played.

32/ There's yet another, behavioral tell here — one of a paralanguage/verbal variety. The word, "frankly" is never written into a speech or script, unless it's put there with deliberate irony, humor, or as a dialog of fiction to engender a character with obvious dishonesty.

33/ Astoundingly, in the everyday world, people continue to say, "frankly", while thinking-feeling-projecting the exact opposite. Barr didn't read this word — he went off-script. And a split second after he said it, he displayed the above noted, microexpression.

34/ When deception and manipulation are being attempted with words, they're almost always accompanied by equivalent and simultaneous (or nearly simultaneous) signals of body language.

35/ This is a textbook phenomenon of this nonverbal axiom. If you know what to look for, such practice is a very reliable way of 'checking your math'. Do you know what to look for? How often do you completely miss these clues? What price have you paid?

36/ Again, watch these few seconds at normal speed, 1/2, 1/4, and again at full speed.

37/ Beginning at 1:04, Barr says, "We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation. The FBI and the Office of Inspector General [long pause] are doing just that."

38/ During this lengthy pause (1:16 - 1:18), after he says, "Inspector General" and prior to him saying "are doing just that" — Bill Barr's lower lip quivers substantially.

39/ This lip quivering is a signal of Barr's hesitancy to finish his statement. Are the FBI and IG's office really "doing just that"?

40/ During 1:23 - 1:25, as he says, "and there will be accountability" (and just after he says, "We will get to the bottom of what happened"), Barr displays a series of rapid blinking. Taken in isolation, this blinking display is a non-specific indicator of anxiety.

41/ As Barr says, "get", ("The victims deserve justice and they will get it"), he immediately closes his eyes (1:42).

42/ ... & looks down (1:42). Again, Barr displays a lack of eye contact at a crucial time. Notice his accompanying inward lip roll (attempting to suppress strong emotion). His mid-face also has characteristics of anger (tightening of his mustache region & flaring of his nostrils)

43/ Barr then looks down even further. He had just turned the page a second ago — this is feigned paper shuffling. He does not want to look at the camera/audience (1:45).

44/ Lastly, we see a more dramatic inward lip roll at 1:47 (additional suppression of strong emotions).

45/ One of the most reliable nonverbal behaviors indicating the lack of sincerity is the over-use of one's forehead muscles — whether it's the entire width of the forehead, or in particular, an elevated central forehead contraction.

46/ Bill Barr's forehead musculature was nearly constantly contracted during this entire video.

47/ SUMMARY: William Barr's nonverbal, verbal and paralanguage behavior displayed during his 12 August 2019 statement regarding the death of Jeffrey Epstein projects significant anxiety, cognitive-emotional dissonance, and insincerity.

continued ...

48/ Summary (continued): Barr's behavior suggests deception and a failure to disclose information. Crucially, despite saying he was angry, Attorney General Barr displayed joy-happiness at the death of Jeffrey Epstein.

END