Thread by @DrGJackBrown

1 of 24/  Body Language Analysis No. 4682: Donald Trump arraignment — Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS) #BodyLanguageExpert
#DonaldTrump #TrumpArraignment

2 of 24/  Today, Donald Trump, former President of the United States, was arrested and arraigned in Manhattan. There were no video cameras allowed inside the courtroom. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of one of the published images.

3 of 24/  Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts against him for falsifying business records.

4 of 24/  This image (photo credit: Seth Wenig  |  Credit: AP) shows Donald Trump with members of his legal team in a Manhattan courtroom today.

5 of 24/  One particular nonverbal behavior that should jump out at you is that Trump has his hands beneath the table. This makes a stark contrast against the image of all his attorneys with their hands above the table.

6 of 24/  This behavior shows Trump's belief in his own legal guilt/culpability guilt (it's important to differentiate here between culpability-guilt and remorse-guilt. And while these thought-emotions may coexist in the same individual, these are completely different phenomena).

7 of 24/  If Trump believed he was innocent, with very high probability, he would not have his hands beneath the table, but on top of the table.

8 of 24/  Moreover, if Trump believed he was innocent, with very high probability, he would be sitting forward on his chair — with his buttocks away from the back of the chair — and additionally, with his back straight — leaning forward — toward the judge.

9 of 24/  Instead, Trump sits with his shoulders and back hunched forward (no doubt he has some age-related kyphosis, however his posture in this moment is largely behavioral) — ...

10 of 24/  ...which correlates strongly with sadness, low assertiveness, low confidence, emotional discomfort, disengagement, and culpability-guilt (Trump demonstrates no remorse-guilt).

11 of 24/  In a close-up, cropped image of above, (photo credit: Seth Wenig AP), Trump's expression in this moment displays an amalgam of Contempt and Disgust.

12 of 24/  Although not a required component of the expression of Contempt or Disgust, Trump's partial upper eyelid closure serves to amplify these emotional displays.

13 of 24/  Despite his Botox treatments, we can see that Trump's forehead muscles are contracted — probably across the forehead's entire width (although it's difficult to discern from this angle).

14 of 24/  We tend not to turn fully toward a person at whom we're looking when we don't like them, don't respect them, and/or don't believe them...

15 of 24/  ...Instead we partially turn our head/neck — glancing laterally (while keeping our torso unturned) — which is exactly what Trump is doing here.

16 of 24/  In this next close-up (Photo Credit: Andrew Kelly/Reuters), we can see Trump displaying an amalgam of Anger and Disgust (Disgust when displayed toward another person[s] essentially always has accompanying anger).

17 of 24/  Note the partial closure and tension in Trump's lower eyelids. Mild-to-moderate anger will result in partial eyelid closure.

18 of 24/  This next image is particularly telling. Note Trump's Jaw Mandible (Jaw) retraction (it's pulling inward) — as simultaneously he's displaying a Loose Tongue Jut. (Photo Credit: CNN)

19 of 24/  A Loose Tongue Jut projects the thought-emotions of "I've done/about to do something stupid", "I've been bad/about to do something bad", "I've been/about to be caught" — and Deception.

20 of 24/  (Be careful not to confuse a Loose Tongue Jut with a Wide Open Tongue Jut or a Tight Tongue Jut — for they indicate entirely different thought-emotions).

21 of 24/  Trump Mandible (Jaw) retraction, in this facial expression and body posture context, indicates fear and culpability-guilt (Trump demonstrates no remorse-guilt).

22 of 24/   Compare this next moment ((Photo Credit: Andrew Kelly/Reuters), and particularly his jaw position, with the previous image and jaw position. Note the relatively neutral position in most of Trump's face — and his jaw.

23 of 24/ SUMMARY: Donald Trump displayed a variability of emotions during his arraignment on 34 Felony counts today in Manhattan — including sadness, low assertiveness, low confidence, emotional discomfort, low engagement, anger, contempt, disgust, fear, and culpability-guilt...

24 of 24/Interested in learning #BodyLanguage & using it to improve your personal professional & life? Please email me ([e-mail]), esp. judges, attorneys, directors, actors, crisis management, C-level executives, sales, parents, teachers, health care pros...
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