Thread by @DrGJackBrown

1 of 32/ Body Language Analysis No. 4679: Donald Trump's first public comments regarding Stormy Daniels — Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

2 of 32/ The whole world has been waiting and is expecting the indictment of former U.S. President, Donald Trump.

3 of 32/ On Thursday 5 April 2018, Donald Trump made his first public comments regarding Stormy Daniels. He did so on Air Force One (video link above). What follows is a nonverbal analysis of this crucial exchange.

4 of 32/
JOURNALIST (beginning at 0:16) : Mr. President - did you know about the hundred and thirty thousand dollar payment to Stormy Daniels?

DONALD TRUMP: No. No.

JOURNALIST: Then why did Michael —

DONALD TRUMP: [over-talking] What else?

5 of 32/
JOURNALIST: — why did Michael Cohen make this if there was no truth to her allegations?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well you'll have to ask Micheal Cohen. Michael's my [pause] attorney and you'll have to Michael.

6 of 32/
JOURNALIST: Do you know where he got the money to make that payment?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I don't know. No.

7 of 32/ During 0:19 - 0:22, as the Journalist asks, "... the hundred and thirty thousand dollar payment to Stormy Daniels?" - the President displays a classic Forward Lip Purse (not to be confused with a lateral lip purse).

8 of 32/ A forward lip purse is an indication of clandestine information — that is, information/or a plan that's being withheld (partially or fully withheld) and/or the person displaying this expression is fully or partially (but surreptitiously) disagreeing.

9 of 32/  In this context, his Forward Lip Pursing screams out that Trump was lying.

10 of 32/ The image immediately above (captured during 0:22) shows the President a split second after his monosyllabic answer. Notice how his eyelids have opened substantially. This dynamic is due to a surge of adrenaline — secondary to Fear.

11 of 32/ Note also, in that same image, the then-President's mouth configuration — that of emotional shock amalgamated with fear.

12 of 32/ A peculiar moment occurred when the President's two young interns/assistants, who had just been leaning in from opposite sides of Airforce One's aisle (o:22), immediately hid themselves from the camera ...

13 of 32/ ...upon hearing the question, "Mr. President - did you know about the hundred and thirty thousand dollar payment to Stormy Daniels?" (This second image was captured less than a second later, also during 0:22).

14 of 32/ Their behavior, of course, signals the interns' common knowledge of Trump's emotional sensitivity (anger) to this topic. They have no desire to appear as gawkers.

15 of 32/ This is a prime example of the axion that the body language of others who are on stage and knowledgeable of the speaker — will, acting as subconscious surrogates, often betray his inner thoughts and behavior.

16 of 32/ Trump displays additional Fear and Emotional shock displayed during 0:27.

17 of 32/ During 0:33 (just after he says, "... you'll have to ask Michael"), as the President points to another journalist, ...

18 of 32/ ... he displays a microexpression of:
• Mouth of Fear + Sadness
• Elevated Central Forehead Contraction (Elevated CFC)
• Eyelids once again opened widely (Adrenaline Surge secondary to Fear)

This nonverbal cluster indicates Emotional Pain

19 of 32/ During 0:35, as a journalist asks, "Do you know where he got the money to make that payment?" Donald Trump displays a Tight Tongue Jut (more specifically, at the end of this sentence - immediately after she says the word, "money").

20 of 32/ Do not confuse a Tight Tongue Jut with a Loose Tongue Jut or a Wide Open Tongue Jut, as they indicate completely different thought-emotions.

21 of 32/ A Tight Tongue Jut indicates the emotions of:

• Disdain
• Disgust
• Repulsion

22 of 30/ Think back to when you last saw an infant being fed a food they didn't like — this is the same tongue dynamic they exhibit. They reject the pureed asparagus, just as much asTrump rejects this question and the thought-emotion it evokes.

23 of 32/ His wide open eyes and mouth of fear are clearly evident during 0:36 as he says, "No, I don't know. No."

24 of 32/ After answering this question with, "No, I don't know. No.", the President then displays a classic expression of an amalgam of Regret-Frustration (during 0:37).

25 of 32/  Note the classic lateral vectoring of the corners of his mouth (regret) — and the muscle contraction/bulging in the region above the upper lip (Frustration).

26 of 32/ Although it's not a required component of a regret expression, in this moment, his simultaneous longer duration blink/bilateral eyelid closure serves as a regret amplifier and deception tell.

27 of 32/ Trump just told a lie and in this moment he's trying to emotionally distance himself in this moment.

28 of 32/ A split-second later (still during 0:37) Trump rocks backward on his feet — temporarily retreating into the relative protection of the narrower aisle-way. Although his eyes have now opened, his regret expression persists.

29 of 32/ SUMMARY: There is a clear distinction between a person who regrets because they feel remorse and another person who feels regret because they are caught. Donald Trump has never felt remorse-regret, only culpability-regret....

30 of 32/ Although his multitudes of deceptions have been well-documented by other means, Donald Trump's nonverbal displays exhibited during the above video clearly indicates that the President lied on Air Force One on 5 April 2018 ....

31 of 32/ Donald Trump lied when he said he didn't know about Micheal Cohen paying $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. Trump also lied when he denied knowing from where Cohen got the hush money.

32 of 32/ Anyone interested in learning #BodyLanguage in great detail, please email ([e-mail]) me — esp. attorneys, judges, actors, directors, crisis management, C-level executives, sales professionals, teachers, parents, and health care professionals.

Ω