Thread by @DrGJackBrown

THREAD: Body Language Analysis No.4156: President Trump's Cabinet Meeting - #CrossingArms and Excessive Motion - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence

#DonaldTrump #BodyLanguage #EmotionalIntelligence #MedicalCauses #Beta #LowConfidence #Defensiveness

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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