1/ Yesterday, President Trump held a cabinet meeting prior to the US House vote on the tax bill. Many have inquired as to the significance of the President crossing his arms during the meeting.
2/ Over the past several months, Donald Trump has crossed his arms with increasing duration and frequency. To put this in historical-behavioral context, you'd be hard-pressed to find a single photo of any past US president crossing their arms during public events or meetings.
3/ It's crucial to note that the President's hands are constantly hidden during his arm-crossing.
The video above is 18:04 in duration (1084 seconds) during which Donald Trump crossed his arms five times for a total of 325 seconds or 29.98% of the time.
4/ Another intriguing detail of his behavior was demonstrated during the prayer - wherein he flexes/flicks/bends his wrists, with clasped hands twelve times. He also clasps and unclasps his hands multiple times. All this movement takes place in the space of 1 minute, 26 seconds.
5/ You'll note, even the videographer zoomed in on Trump's hands. Why can't the President maintain a prayer posture for 90 seconds?
6/ During the entire remainder of the video, the president's hands are rarely free or isolated: 99% of the time, he was either clasping the other hand, grasping his left wrist/forearm with his right hand, grasping both wrists, etc.
7/ And similar to the prayer dynamic, his fists and/or clasped hands repeatedly raise up and down in a wrist flexing/extending motion.
8/ You may recall during the recent FBI graduation ceremony prayer
( ), President Trump looked up and opened his eyes (while everyone else bowed their heads and eyes closed). He also irreverently twisted/rotated his torso several times.
9/ During this graduation, his right hand was also in motion - as he patted his chest multiple times when the national anthem was played.
10/ Now contrast these two videos. The one immediately above was from 26 February 2016 during the campaign (approximately 22 months ago) as Donald Trump was mocking Marco Rubio.
11/ Notice that then-candidate Trump had an easy time drinking from a water bottle during a campaign event (0:36 - 1:16).
12/ Now contrast this to the next video of Donald Trump taking a drink only days ago, on 18 December 2017. The contrast is striking.
13/ Watching the slow, two-handed drinking posture of the President (at 6:50 and 17:01) is painful to see
14/ This cluster of behavior is due to both behavioral/psychological - as well as medical etiologies.
15/ Crossing one's arms - with hands hidden is a classic signal of defensiveness-related anxiety.
16/ This Beta behavior telegraphs his insecurity and low confidence - which is why this body language is virtually historically rare in past presidents during meetings or public appearances.
17/ Yet the President's increasing frequency and duration of his hand dynamics strongly suggests a movement disorder or tremor/tremor-like phenomenon.
18/ Moreover, his excessive hand movements are highly out-of-context - such as during prayers - and when his hand is supposed to be held still over his heart during the National Anthem.
19/ It very much appears that his hands cannot be at rest without gripping, grasping, being braced, etc. Causes include a variety of medical conditions (most likely involving the Central Nervous System) as well as drug side-effects.
20/ Summary: The president's increased duration and frequency of arm crossing project his growing beta emotions of anxiety, insecurity, and low confidence.
21/ In addition, with high probability, the President appears to be unable to hold his hands and arms still for more than a few seconds - crossing his arms, making fists, flexing/extending his wrists,...
22/ grasping the opposite hand/wrist/arm, moving during solemn and out-of-context moments (prayers, national anthem) - all in an effort to disguise/camouflage a medical movement disorder and/or a drug side-effect.
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2/ Donald Trump delivered a campaign speech earlier today in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He repeatedly made the expression show in this accompanying still image. Note his central forehead is contracted and elevated while simultaneously displaying a (feigned) mouth smile.
3/ We all make an expression similar to this one *once-in-a-while* when we're feeling:
• Smug Incredulity
• Arrogance
• Contempt
(although all of these thought-emotions have other facial expressions with which they're associated)
1/ Yesterday, after the closest Senate vote in 137 years, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. Ashley Kavanaugh's body language during her husband's swearing-in ceremony is worthy of scrutiny.
2/ Note in the above image, as retired Justice Anthony Kennedy administers the Judicial Oath to Brett Kavanaugh, Ashley Kavanaugh is standing with her left leg crossed in front of her right leg. This nonverbal display indicates a lowered confidence level & a beta emotional tone.
1/ There are many nonverbal signs indicating relative levels of confidence. During last week's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford exhibited contrasting examples of one such signal.
2/ When a person raises their right hand to be sworn-in before testifying, if their fingers and/or thumb are spread apart - it signals low levels of confidence.
1/ The following is my second analysis of a portion of Brett Kavanaugh's testimony during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on 27 September 2018.
2/ JOHN KENNEDY (beginning at 3:45:39): "I’m — I’m sorry, judge, for what you and your family have been through. And I’m sorry - for what Dr. Ford and her family have been through. It could have been avoided [long pause] Do you believe in God?"
1/ In case you hadn't heard, on Wednesday 27 September 2018, both Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
2/ This hearing could supply a year's worth of nonverbal teaching examples and it would close to impossible to analyze the entire event in one session. Thus, what follows is the first of several analyses of this historic exchange.