THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4126: Jeff Sessions' Joking regarding Kislyak/Russia - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTO)
1/ On Friday 17 November 2017, during a meeting of The Federalist Society - three days after Jeff Sessions testified before the House Judiciary Committee - he openly joked about communicating with the Russians.
2/ Intriguingly, this conference took place at The Mayflower Hotel - which was one of the locations where (then) Senator Sessions did, in fact, meet with Sergey Kislyak during Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign (April 2016).
3/ During his Senate confirmation hearings, Attorney General Sessions denied, while under oath, any contact with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign.
4/ Moreover, he stated he was unaware of any contacts between members of the Trump campaign staff and any Russian officials.
5/ What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of Jeff Sessions in the above video
6/ ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS (beginning at 0:00): But I just was thinkin', Ya know I should - ah, wanna ask you is - is Ambassador Kislyak in the room? Ω ... 
7/ Just after he says, "... is Ambassador Kislyak in the room? ...", Jeff Sessions' jaw momentarily projects forward (captured in both of these images less than one second apart during 0:05). This is known as a "Jaw Jut". Watch this several times in at 1/2 and 1/4 speed.
8/ Nonverbal novices will often falsely interpret ALL Jaw Juts as signals of anger - yet this is a gross oversimplification. If anger is present, other nonverbal indicators will also be seen.
9/ For a moment consider the verbal homonym, "Hot" as it is used in the English language.
10/ One can say, "It's hot outside" (referring to temperature) - or "This pepper is hot" (spiciness) - or "She is hot" (physical attractiveness) - or "A particular news subject is hot" (popularity).
11/ Despite the fact that the word is pronounced the same and spelled the same - within these contexts, we have no difficulty determining their respective meanings of "Hot".
12/ However - when removed from their sentences, it's impossible to define them. The same is true with nonverbal homonyms. Thus, as with all nonverbal behavior, a "Jaw Jut"- should always be interpreted in the context of the other signals contained in the "nonverbal sentence".
13/ Is Jeff Sessions' jaw jut in this setting a signal of anger? What other coexisting signs either confirm or refute the presence of anger?
14/ Don't make the mistake of interpreting a Jaw Jut as a component of laughter either. During moments of sincere laughter (and to a lesser extent with sincere smiling) - the jaw moves in the opposite direction - it retracts.
15/ Summary: In the absence of anger and other signals, a Jaw Jut is a signal of Hubris in addition to Insincerity.
16/ Many people have little ability to avoid "cracking a smile" when they're hiding something or deceiving. This is often colloquially referred to as having a "poor poker face". Jeff Sessions is one such person.
17/ Both consciously and unconsciously people believe that if they laugh and smile frequently - then others won't be able to tell when they are lying.
18/ Sessions' act of openly joking regarding Russia and Ambassador Kislyak camouflages his relative lack of ability to suppress his smiling and laughing out of context.
19/ This tactic of "Hiding in Plain Sight" is similar to a sixteen-year-old purchasing multiple items at once hoping the cashier doesn't notice the cigarettes.
20/ In a larger sense, Jeff Sessions' act of openly joking about Russia - and Russia's aggressive interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election (verified by all US Intelligence agencies)
21/ has the profound additional effect of normalizing this and similar election interference - both in the minds' of foreign powers and in the minds' of the average American.
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