Body Language Analysis №4386: Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump in Churchill’s War Room — Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)
This image was captured on 4 June 2019, during President Trump’s recent visit to the United Kingdom. Here, Donald Trump is seen with his daughter, Ivanka, and others, while touring Winston Churchill’s sleeping quarters (a part of the Churchill War Room Museum) located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall area of Westminster.
What follows is a nonverbal analysis of this moment.
In this close-up of his face, we can see President Trump’s upper and particularly his lower eyelids are tense. His mid-face is dramatically tightened — with his nostrils considerably flared and his ‘mustache-area’ extremely contracted.
His Jaw is Jutting forward — indicative of an Adrenaline Surge. Simultaneously, his lips are curled inward — covering his teeth with his mouth slightly opened in what is termed, an Inward Lip Roll. An Inward Lip Roll shows an attempt to suppress strong emotions from crescendoing.
In this moment the President’s face is projecting considerable anger.
Note the placement of Trump’s hands. His thumbs are hooked behind the waist of his pants, gripping his belt. The long-axes of each of his forearms-wrists-hands are directed at his groin. More specifically, his right index finger (the most dominant of all his digits) is also pointing directly at his genital region.
In a very general sense, this body language gesture is an example of a “MAP Surrogate” (Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier). More exactly, it’s an example of a variation of a Partial Emblematic Slip.
Trump’s nonverbal behavior in this moment is dramatic and profoundly out of context. It’s a Hyper-Alpha Sexual Display wherein Donald Trump is attempting to project an amalgam of his perceived virility and sexual dominance — along with his anger and sexual aggression.
Moreover, and of profound importance, at no time should sexual expression/sexual projection be accompanied by anger. It’s never remotely healthy when these two emotions overlap.
Ivanka’s head and neck are bowed. Her shoulders are slumped while her eyes are looking down — fixed and staring — primarily center-down, but slightly to her right. This is the direction of gaze associated with guilt, shame, regret, and sadness. She is caught off-guard and emotionally distressed.
Ivanka is whole-body pointing toward her father. Ivanka’s hands are in a Fig-Leaf configuration (also known as Genital Guarding). In this context, this is a deeply-Beta, low-confidence, deferential posture with strong overtones for protection.
Summary: The nonverbal behavior captured in this photograph reflects the stark contrast between the two Trumps’ thought-emotions. Donald is Hyper-Alpha — but Ivanka is deeply beta. Donald is pointing at his genitals — while Ivanka is protecting hers. Donald is projecting sexual aggressiveness and anger — yet Ivanka is feeling submissive, shame, and sadness.
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See also:
Body Language Analysis №4383: William Barr’s 27 March 2019 Senate Testimony
Body Language Analysis №4382: Why is Donald Trump Leaning Forward?
Body Language Analysis №4380: Tiger Woods Wins his first Masters in 14 years
Body Language Analysis №4379: Katie Bouman, Black Holes, and Emotional Processing
Body Language Analysis №4376: Jacinda Ardern and Donald Trump — a Study in Contrasts
Body Language Analysis №4364: Vladimir Putin’s and Mohammed bin Salman’s High Five at the G20
This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts — not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.
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