Thread by @DrGJackBrown

1/ THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4459: Donald Trump's reaction upon hearing of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence — — #BodyLanguage #BodyLanguageExpert #EmotionalIntelligence #RBG #RuthBaderGinsBerg #DonaldTrump

2/ Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away earlier today. What follows is a Body Language and Paralanguage/Statement Analysis of Donald Trump's reaction upon hearing this news.

3/ With a surreal choreographed coincidence timing, Elton John's song, 'Tiny Dancer' is cued up only a couple seconds after Donald Trump deviated his walking path toward the Press Scrum.

4/ A journalist begins, "Mr. President can you comment on the passing of Justice Ginsburg?" He does not fully hear the question over the music and the jet engines. The question is repeated to him.

5/ Trump responds, "She just died?"

Journalist: "Yeah."

Trump: "Wow [long pause] I didn't know that. I just ah — you're tellin' me now for the first time. She led an amazing life. What else can ya say..."

6/ Trump [continues]: "...She was an amazing woman — whether you agreed or not, she was an amazing woman who led — an amazing life. Um — actually sad to hear that. I am sad to hear that. Thank you very much."

7/ As the journalist repeats her question to Trump, he holds his left index finger (forefinger) to his left ear. This was not feigned. Trump did not hear the full question.

8/ As Trump says, "She...", he leans forward with his head/neck/torso and lowers his eyebrows (and projects an expected inquiry expression).

9/ As Trump says, "...died?", he displays a Microexpression of mild surprise (eyebrow elevation, esp. his left). He was truly surprised, but not dramatically so. Trump knew Justice Ginsburg was considerably ill, but he did not expect her death today.

10/ Immediately after he said, "...died?" and the journalist answers, "Yeah", Trump pulls back, straightening up his head-neck-torso (surprise) as he ...

11/ ... simultaneously (and audibly) inhales and juts his jaw forward (an adrenaline surge) along with momentarily fixating his gaze (stares) at a distance (attempting to focus and collect his thoughts).

12/ Just after Trump says, "Wow" he displays the first (of two) Tight Tongue Juts. A tight tongue jut projects the thought-emotions of:

• Disdain
• Disgust
• Repulsion

13/ Be careful to not confuse the Tight Tongue Jut with either a Loose Tongue Jut or a Wide Open Tongue Jut which conveys completely different thought-emotions.

14/ As Trump says, "I didn't know ..." he shakes his head briefly in a side-to-side; a 'No' illustrator. His words and his body language are congruent.

15/ Then, as Trump says, "You're tellin' me now for the first time", he straightens up, pulling his shoulders back and stares/fixates again in the distance (trying to collecting thoughts and formulate a response).

16/ Trump then exhales as he pauses, looks down, and displays a pushback-barrier gesture (nonverbally projecting the thought-emotions of:

• I'm pushing back at you
• Don't pressure me
• Let me speak
• Give me a second to think

17/ Trump then says, "She led an amazing life. What else can ya say." Notice that although this sentence is transcribed as a question, it's not read with the vocal intonation of a question. He doesn't pause at all at the end of the sentence. He speaks it as a statement.

18/Trump then says, "She was an amazing woman" (w/ vocal emphasis on "woman", not "amazing"). As he says, "woman" he pulls his head & torso backward (distancing behavior w/ the word-thought of "woman")as his facial expression displays an amalgam of:

• Doubt
• Contempt
• Anger

19/ As Trump says, "whether you agreed or not, she was an amazing" he shakes his head side-to-side in a "No" illustrator. This behavior is contradictory. Trump does NOT think RBG was amazing.

20/ Whenever the body language contradicts the verbal language, it's the body language that tells what the person is truly thinking.

21/ Trump displays a second Tight Tongue Jut just after he says, "who led an amazing life". Recall that a Tight Tongue Jut indicates the thought emotions of:

• Disdain
• Disgust
• Repulsion

22/ Next, Trump says, "Um [long pause] actually sad to hear that. I am sad to hear that". Notice he did not use the first person singular pronoun "I" in the first sentence, rather an "Um" (it's not an "I'm", but an "Um").

23/ Leaving out the word "I" (or I'm) is a common distancing behavior when people are insincere. For example, the insincere often say, "Sorry", rather than, "I'm sorry".

It's particularly telling that Trump substitutes an "I" for an "Um". Red Flag Alert!

24/ Trump's use of the word "actually" is also profoundly telling. It is meant to inject irony or something unexpected. If he really was sad, why say, "actually"?

25/ In this context, the use of "Actually" is a classic #StatementAnalysis tell/behavior — and is similar to the use of "Honestly" and "Frankly".

26/ Trump then goes on to say, "I am sorry" in his second iteration of the sentence. Another important #StatementAnalysis sign here is the use of the non-contraction "I am" rather than "I'm". This also suggests insincerity.

27/ After Trump says, "Thank you very much", he turns away and we can see (in profile) the expression of Disgust.

28/ At NO TIME during this exchange, did Trump ever display an expression of grief-empathy (An Elevated Central Forehead Contraction together with a Saddened mouth configuration).

29/ Moreover, at no time on public record, has Trump ever made this expression — at least since June 2015. Trump has never made this expression because Trump is not capable of empathy.

30/ SUMMARY: Trump was somewhat surprised at Justice Ginsburg's Death today. He knew Justice Ginsburg was considerably ill, but he did not expect her death today.

continued...

31/ The auditory impact of the perfectly timed song of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" — a song w/ a melancholy theme and melody — will give the illusion to some people that Trump was sad. Don't make this mistake. Trump was NOT saddened at all.

continued...

32/ I invite those individuals with audio editing skills to remove only the sound/song of "Tiny Dancer" from the background of the video while leaving all other sounds intact. Anyone who does so, please their modifications post below for comparison.

continued ...

33/ Trump was NOT at all sad at the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He was lying. Nor did he display any signs of grief or empathy.

Trump, in fact, felt disdain, disgust, contempt, and repulsion for RBG.

END

Addendum: The journalist asking this question was @tamarakeithNPR