Thread by @DrGJackBrown

THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4305: Donald Trump's Aberrancies - post-Summit Interview - #Nonverbal & #EmotionalIntelligence • • #DonaldTrump #TrumpKimSummit #NorthKoreaSummit #KimJongUn #BodyLanguage #EmotionalIntelligence #Anxiety

1/ Donald Trump gave this post-Summit Interview with George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday 12 June 2018. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis focusing on some specific body language deviations which the President displayed.

2/ A few hours earlier, Trump and Kim had signed a document - officially titled: "Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit".

3/ The signing took place in this same room - and Trump and Kim sat at the table which, in this interview, is positioned behind and to the left of Trump.

4/ Look at this screen grab of Donald Trump. His hands are configured in what is known as a Low Steeple (more specifically: a Seated, Low, Conventional Steeple). The President's hands are positioned in this manner virtually constantly during any seated one-on-one interviews.

5/ The low steeple is a hyper-alpha nonverbal. And like all alpha (or hyper-alpha) body language, a little bit goes a long way.

6/ It's a bit like garlic. You may like garlic. Garlic may be the ingredient you want. You may think Garlic tastes good in spaghetti sauce - but grandma always taught you not to use too much. Donald Trump dramatically overuses this signal. Waaaay too much garlic.

7/ Although Trump is an alpha male, it's quite unusual-to-rare to find alpha males sitting in this fashion for an extended duration. But Trump does it constantly. No other US President ever did. Ever.

8/ I defy/challenge anyone to find a single picture of another sitting US president displaying a low steeple.

9/ However, look at President Trump's feet. His left leg is wrapped way around the side of his chair - such that his knee is pointed to the left of Mr. Stephanopoulos. It's so far back, that his heel is positioned a bit further posterior than his gluteus.

10/ Moreover, his left heel is elevated off the floor. Trump doesn't want to be there (and it's got nothing to do with Stephanopoulos).

11/ I've analyzed Trump's nonverbal behavior well over 1000 times (over 350 published) - and although he routinely sits in the Seated Crotch Display (aka Manspreading), he never displays this leg posture of "wanting to leave" body language. Never.

12/ This nonverbal dynamic indicates President Trump is anxious. He wants to leave. He doesn't want to be in that room.

13/ If a person to whom you're speaking ever adopts this same leg-out-to-the-side posture - you can be sure they have an urgency to depart too. And although we can't see the full layout of this room - it's highly probable that Trump's left knee & foot are pointing toward an exit.

14/ President Trump also displays this hand configuration - with his fingers intertwined and tightened. This nonverbal sign is indicative of frustration - along with a component of anger. Again, this configuration is rare for Trump to use during any one-on-one interviews.

15/ This last example, that of Hand Cupping-Clenching - also projects frustration - but additionally, it carries with it a significantly more beta emotional tone. Note the President is protecting his right hand - his dominant hand.

16/ SUMMARY: President Trump displays multiple examples of anxiety during this interview - as well as frustration - along with beta emotional tone.

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17/ Intriguingly, Trump's lower extremity nonverbal display is body language which he's never before used publicly during his entire campaign or thus far in his presidency.

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18/ There were, in fact, three participants in this interview, Donald Trump, George Stephanopoulos - and the Room itself. The Room, of course, is a metaphor - a symbol of Kim Jong-un, the events of the Summit, &/or the agreements (or lack thereof) within "Joint Statement".

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