1/ THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4415: Why Does Donald Trump Point So Often? • #Nonverbal #EmotionalIntelligence #BodyLanguage #BodyLanguageExpert #DonaldTrump #Pointing 
2/ Does it raise a flag in your awareness when a person - who doesn't know you very well - uses words such as: "We", "Our", "Us", "Let's", etc.? It should. It absolutely should.
3/ This fits into a type of behavior known as "Forced Teaming" (de Becker) and it's a common technique used by manipulative individuals.
4/ Recall the crucial sentence in Trump's phone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky: "I want you to do us a favor though."
5/ In scenarios that are out of context with mutual familiarity and/or agreement, such verbal forced teaming is an attempt at making you feel as if you belong to the same clan, team, etc.
6/ If you're part of any group/tribe/belief system, then you'll be significantly more likely to follow established rules/requests/orders - and much more vulnerable to manipulation.
7/ Recently, at a White House party, Trump said, “Like we used to say in the military, make a path.” Here, he used the same technique in reverse — where he's sought to gain (steal) credibility/status/bravery from the military.
8/ Thus, it should absolutely raise your alarm whenever you hear, "we", "us", "our", "let's", "we're", etc. too often or at crucial moments.
9/ If you know what to look for, you'll also spot any accompanying paralanguage and body language forced teaming analogs.
10/ Donald Trump frequently points to a random person in a crowd, a member of Congress, or his cabinet. When he does so, it's a body language form of forced teaming.
11/ Importantly, he often also simultaneously (or near-simultaneously) displays a forced (feigned, insincere) smile.
12/ It makes the other person feel as if the president temporarily raises them to the level of his peer — as if they belonged to Trump's inner 'circle' (even if they very literally and logically know it's absolutely not true, they temporarily feel as if it's EMOTIONALLY true).
13/ This is quite similar to a manipulative 'lover' telling a lie whilst kissing.
14/ This pointing-and-smiling body language behavior (again, false/insincere smiling) makes it significantly more difficult to say, "no" to him — and much more likely that he'll be successful at manipulating others over to his way of thinking/behaving.
15/ SUMMARY: Donald Trump's frequent pointing-and-smiling behavior is a common body language forced teaming tool of manipulation.
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16/ This body language is a nonverbal way of saying "We're on the same team" and, indeed, it's often accompanied by similar verbal language saying so, such as: "We", "Our", "Us", "Let's", etc.
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17/ Trump used the verbal component of this Forced-Teaming technique on President Zelensky when he said, "I want you to do us a favor though".
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