THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4252: Donald Trump says he didn't know about Stormy Daniels payment - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence • • #DonaldTrump #StormyDaniels #MichaelCohen #BodyLanguage #EmotionalIntelligence #EQ #Nonverbal #Deception
1/ On Thursday 5 April 2018, Donald Trump made his first public comments regarding Stormy Daniels. He did so on Air Force One and it was recorded on video. What follows is a nonverbal analysis of this crucial exchange.
2/ JOURNALIST: "Mr. President - did you know about the hundred and thirty thousand dollar payment to Stormy Daniels?"
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "No. No."
JOURNALIST: "Then why did Michael -"
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "No. No."
JOURNALIST: "Then why did Michael -"
3/ PRESIDENT TRUMP: "[over-talking] What else?"
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."
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."
4/ JOURNALIST: "Do you know where he got the money to make that payment?"
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "No, I don't know. No."
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "No, I don't know. No."
5/ 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). 
6/ A forward lip purse is an indication of clandestine information - that is, information/or a plan that's being withheld (partially or fully withheld).
In this context, Forward Lip Pursing screams that the President is lying.
In this context, Forward Lip Pursing screams that the President is lying.
7/ This next image (captured during 0:22) shows the President a split second after his monosyllabic answer. Notice how widely his eyelids are opened. This dynamic is due to a surge of adrenaline - secondary to Fear.
8/ Another peculiar moment occurred when the President's two young assistants - who had just been leaning in from opposite sides of the aisle - immediately hid from the camera upon hearing the question, ...
9/ ... "Mr. President - did you know about the hundred and thirty thousand dollar payment to Stormy Daniels?"
The image above was a screen-grab from 0:22
The image above was a screen-grab from 0:22
10/ ... And this was a screen-grab from less than a second later (also during 0:22)
11/ Their behavior, of course, signals the interns' common knowledge of the President's emotional sensitivity to this topic. They had no desire to appear as rubberneckers driving by the scene of an accident.
12/ During 0:33 (just after he says, "... you'll have to ask Michael"), as the President points to another journalist, he displays a microexpression of:
13/
• Mouth of Fear + Sadness
• Elevated Central Forehead Contraction (Elevated CFC)
Combined with his mouth configuration,
this nonverbal cluster indicates Emotional Pain
• Eyelids once again opened widely (Adrenaline Surge secondary to Fear)
• Mouth of Fear + Sadness
• Elevated Central Forehead Contraction (Elevated CFC)
Combined with his mouth configuration,
this nonverbal cluster indicates Emotional Pain
• Eyelids once again opened widely (Adrenaline Surge secondary to Fear)
14/ I've conducted over 1000 detailed analyses (over 350 published) of Donald Trump's nonverbal behavior in the last 34 months - and although he has shown fear in the past, I've never seen him make this particular, deeper expression of Fear combined with Sadness until today.
15/ Summary: Based on Donald Trump's nonverbal display in this video, he lied today on Air Force One when he said he didn't know about Micheal Cohen's $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. Moreover, the President also displayed both fear and sadness. Donald Trump is afraid.
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