Take a close look at President Trump.
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| Urged to show respect for McCain |
Body language is our first language. Infants tell parents how they feel. It is hardwired. We show our emotions.
We know what this look means.
John McCain died on August 25, 2018. The news was full of accolades and tributes to McCain. Trump had lowered--then raised--the flag. For the first time in two years the lead story was about a person other than Trump.
Trump heard the words "courageous," "duty," "war hero," "sacrifice," "respected," "patriotism above party," and they were directed toward McCain. The words contained an indirect criticism of Trump because in the current environment everything is about Trump, so words describing McCain are reviewed against whether they apply to Trump. Everyone knew Trump was none of those things.
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| On phone with Nieto: Unhappy. Protective. |
He didn't want to. Photographers caught the moment.
Any parent of a toddler knows the pose. Young child in a high chair, being offered food he doesn't want. Defiance. Photographs of Trump taken that day and discussing other subjects show him in that similar posture, with arms crossed protectively. Later he was talking on the phone with Mexican president Nieto about the trade deal, arms crossed, face in a frown. Downcast.
Dean Ing of Ashland, Oregon, a novelist and academic student of body language observed that the posture isn't just petulant refusal. It is a self-protective, bunkering posture. The arms are across the torso make this different from defiance. It is defensive.
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| Not now. |
Trump does not have a poker face. He mugs. He gestures. He performs, rather in the manner of a man on stage making gestures big enough to be seen in the back rows. Part of his appeal in politics is that he appears so unguarded and unfiltered and transparent. It complements the anti-political correctness resentment of his base. Trump says what he thinks, with no apology.
This is not the Trump of his rallies, nor Trump the counterpuncher, the defiant guy who would stand up for America against the villains he identified: immigrants, job-stealing foreigners, China, Mexico, affirmative action supporters, political correctness scolds, "the swamp," and Hillary. A bully, yes, but our bully.
There are other ways to show petulance and resistance than with the lead photo on this page. The classic Trump face and posture did exactly that, the pugilist, the counter-puncher, the guy who senses insult or disadvantage and is quick to hit back, the guy pointing a finger, the accuser, the guy with chin held high.
The phrase "chin up" means what it means because it communicates unconsciously the inner mood of the subject. The word "downcast" means what it means for the same reason.
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| Alec Baldwin |
Alec Baldwin's caricature of Trump adopts that look and tone in order to capture the Trump style in a glance through exaggeration of the classic Trump: mouth in aggressive defiance, leaning on the lectern, leaning forward, and a "so there!" tone.
Trump's body language is central to his brand but Trump is breaking his brand. He isn't looking chin-up. The news media--other than Fox--is presenting a story about Trump's presidency, that he is "under siege." Viewers hear the phrase "the walls are closing in."
Whatever else might be true, apparently Trump believes it because his body language is confirming it. He is bunkering down. He is on defense. He is in the red zone.
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3 comments:
Not a "happy warrior", for sure.
I continue to marvel at the behavior, the apparent actions of a guilty, but defiant person. A more polished politician would play the "water off a duck's back" card, but this is not a politician. Earlier this blog compared Trump to a WWF actor, and that is apt. The goal is to intimidate right out of the gate, which makes the subsequent conflict easier. Direct contact is avoided in favor of verbal, and loud, abuse. Think of the simian pounding his chest, or the lion's growls, the bull snorting and pawing the ground. Sometimes it works, the opponent is scared off, the battle won.
It also seems to me Trump backed himself into a corner by using Sen. McCain as a foil, attempting to diminish someone who could be an adversary. His "not captured" remark was intended (intentionally?) to position himself as having a higher, if vague, standard for heroism. With the Senator's passing he was forced to double down, which likely has backfired as polls dipped.
Perhaps a few more supporters have seen the reality of the reality star.
The USC/LA Times Tracking Poll that showed Trump with a win likely in 2016 is now tracking, for the first time, a downturn in his support to near 40 percent. There is no longer any denying a faction of is base has defected although small at the moment, like a dam bursting, it starts with a trickle and grows until the inevitable occurs and it fails, often catastrophically. This will not be good for the Nation. Whether you're a Trump supporter or a member of the Resistance to Trump, the United States is in for a rough ride Constitutionally and maybe violently bordering on the events leading up to the Civil War.
I worked in prisons in Alaska for 30 years as a mental health clinician. People who are liars fail in life. It might take time for the fraudulent book keeper to get caught, but in the end lying does not work as a way of life. I view his demise as inevitable based on my prison experience. Maybe being rich and famous will change that inevitability, but I think not.
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