Trump, at Bush's funeral service - I didn't notice this

[left-of-center2012]

As I’ve mentioned sometimes previously,
I ocassionally watch German national/international news in English on one of our PBS stations M-F.

Today they commented that, while the other former presidents sat back, relaxed ...
Trump often sat leaning forward,
frown on his face,
and his arms often folded across his chest in a defensive posture.

Any body language experts here on DU have an idea what Trump’s posture may have indicated?

[safeinOhio]

1. Text book example or

Word salad.

[Cyrano]

2. No body language expert needed. Trump gets pissed when it isn't about him.

[rurallib]

3. no doubt thinking praise like that should only be used for great men like himself

[NNadir]

52. Well, if he wants attention, he could expedite that stroke he's working on.

Who knows, when he's dead, maybe someone will find something nice to say about him, like, um, "Well, at least he died before destroying the country even more..."

[DinahMoeHum]

4. He was clearly uncomfortable there.

. . .no expertise needed.

[davekriss]

62. He gets that way whenever surrounded by genuine, competent leaders

It punctures that narcissistic, self-inflated ego of his.

[winstars]

5. It clearly indicates he's a fucking asshole, IMHO...

[smirkymonkey]

17. Exactly what I was going to say.

I don't think we have to read too deeply into his childish behavior.

[Eyeball_Kid]

6. You've already stated the obvious.

The folded arms gesture does infer fear of intrusion. Trumpy is guarded. His gesture is fundamentally autistic: directed inward in the face of “overstimulation”. He fears the emotional power of others. And those “others” are his political opponents. As we can postulate, Trumpy is in no position to compromise. He walls himself off, and refuses to entertain diversity in problem-solving.

[dixiegrrrrl]

43. His inability to stand still was obvious at the casket, too.

He rocks back and forth, sometimes just kinda bobs his head. It was very apparent in contrast to Melania's very still behavior.

My mind said "self soothing" when I watched him,

[PatSeg]

70. He does that a lot

Rocks back and forth. He seems incapable of standing still especially with his mouth shut. Also he sits forward in his chair a lot and I think that is because he is uncomfortably overweight. It makes him look like a ill at ease child.

[dixiegrrrrl]

73. I noticed that steeple hands pose yesterday..he does that a lot

It does require him to lean forward, which, as you say, is a better position to breathe, so maybe that is the reason for it.


I also noticed him with arms folded....well, kinda folded, at one point at the service.

[PatSeg]

75. Yeah, the folded arms

is usually defensive. The leaning forward really looks like he's physically uncomfortable. I've seen video of him when he was younger and much thinner. He sat back on chairs in a very relaxed, natural way. Also, his hand gestures were relatively normal.

[LiberalArkie]

79. A lot of us with Aspergers rock back and forth with having to stand still, like in a line.

I rock from heel to toe and sometime just raise myself by my toes. Have to be doing something.

[eShirl]

7. his body struggles to support his mass

[marble falls]

8. That he's a motherless fuck.

[Fuzzpope]

12. The phrase I prefer for a motherless fuck:

Shat out of a jackal's ass.

(From The Omen, referring to [another] Anti-Christ.)

[marble falls]

24. I think that is accurate as well as descriptive!

[DonViejo]

9. He looks like he's sitting on the toilet. The arm...

crossing is a combination of anger/defensiveness/closed- off

[underpants]

29. He always sits like this

?itok=Yz8dIEe9

[TBA]

45. He sits like he is on a toilet

[Fuzzpope]

10. Arms folded

Defensiveness, insecurity, beligerance, defiance, self-consciousness.

Pick one, or all.

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. All. Especially insecurity.

[Miles Archer]

11. Body Language 101.

Crossed arms...which Trump has been doing with increasing frequency...is commonly viewed as a non-verbal cue that he has no interest in what you are saying, and is blocking it out.

The leaning forward thing was "I don't want to be here," probably because he was in a room full of accomplished individuals who were honoring someone who was not Donald Trump.

It was a funeral service for George H.W. Bush, not a "MAGA rally."

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Also he was in a room full of people that he has

insulted. lied about, made fun of. Of course they don't want to be around him.

[liberal N proud]

35. I have seen the crossed arms analogy many times

And in a business speaking class they taught to never cross your arms in a meeting.

[Miles Archer]

47. I had terrible body language in meetings when I worked for Cisco Systems

The reason why so many people worked 10 and 12 hour days is that at least half that time was spent in meetings that you were signed up for. It was PowerPoint hell. Many of the meetings were for projects that you knew would never find their way to completion. So many annoying aspects about the Cisco life that I could write a book. On several occasions I got called out on the carpet after the meeting because of my body language, but I already knew in my heart of hearts that I was communicating that I didn't want to be in that room, hearing the same tired prattle over and over again while work piled up on my desk.

[lunatica]

64. I learned to loath PowerPoint with an intensity that worried me!

Who the fuck invented that shit and didn’t immediately get struck by lightning!

Damn! Talk about torture in the boardroom!

[HipChick]

13. Dick Cheney stared him down

as he went to take his seat, like he was a POS

on this much rare occasion, have to admit, I agree 100% with Dick C...

[lindysalsagal]

15. Cheney's still alive???

oh.

[Gore1FL]

61. The part that doesn't require a soul still seems to operate. nt

[Still In Wisconsin]

78. Barely. He's like Voldemort:

Only 1/7 of a human soul remains, yet the body lives.

[smirkymonkey]

18. Wow, what kind of an asshole do you have to be to get on Dick Cheney's

shit list?

[2naSalit]

25. ...

No shit, right? Apparently, we now know.

[LSFL]

31. but i must admit

Cheney has a soothing voice. ...

[2naSalit]

37. Like a silver-tongued viper...nt

[marble falls]

28. Seriously. It gives me joy, though if cheetolini stared down Cheney, that would bring joy ...

lets give them hand-grenades at 10 feet.

[backtoblue]

32. For real...

That's a whole unexplored level of assholery...

[susanna]

69. This is what I was wondering as well.

Damn, Darth Cheney hates you?

Sit down, friend.

[Factchekr]

57. Loved Cheney...for once

I agree. Dick C was in full bad-ass when he stared down Donald. A thing of beauty. Don't like Dick but he was FOR America. Not just himself.

[lindysalsagal]

71. No, sorry. Cheney was for his companies and cronies that made millions off the iraq invasion.

Blackwater, et all....They paved roads, built towns, machinery, it was a cash cow for his crowd.

[Factchekr]

83. Don't disagree but

Cheney is a bastard to be sure. Q is how far into the morally bankrupt end of the pool so you need to be to get him THAT pissed.

Perhaps its Cheney's new heart talking?

[Eliot Rosewater]

14. He is an Asshole...nothing more complicated than that.

[trueblue2007]

30. ummmmmm a-hole?

The only thing I can think of is this.

[sinkingfeeling]

16. Like any 5 year old, he showed he didn't want to be there nor sit still.

[lpbk2713]

20. "Let's get this over with."

Trump has no trace of human decency.

[GulfCoast66]

21. Get me out of here.

[ginny skinny]

23. I think it's all insecurity about his weight.

And how out of shape he is. Some people are totally comfortable with their bodies and that's how it should be but in his mind he's the toned, muscular tough guy, alpha male, silverback but at some level he realizes that he is revealed to the world as the exact opposite.

By crossing his arms and leaning forward he thinks he is hiding his gut. Like he thinks that thing on his head hides his baldness.

[RockRaven]

40. I agree. Sitting ramrod straight or even leaning back would expose his large belly to view (more so)

And that wouldn't be such a big deal, except that it is a big deal to him.

[bdjhawk]

41. I agree- the rocking back and forth while standing,

The “man spreading”, etc- he has gained a ton of weight and knows his big fat ass and gut are on display. And he wears those baggy pants, suits like he thinks people will conclude it is the clothes that are large rather than the plump pig inside. Clearly he has other insecurities but the weight thing is really bugging him and I am glad!!

[Siwsan]

26. I'm still trying to figure out his motivation for showing up. He has no respect for tradition

He offends people with the ease that most of us draw breath and some of his most offended targets would be sitting along side of him. Did he expect them to make nice? Melania didn't say more more than a word, or two, to GWB. Or tried to. He passed her right over to give Michelle her candy.

Then he and she were pretty much the first people out of the cathedral, into their limo and gone.

The whole exercise was pointless.

[HipChick]

44. Photo op...nothing more..

[Siwsan]

48. A photo op of him being shunned. Well, perhaps that is worth him showing up!

But, seriously. When the camera focused on him it was almost painful to watch. He and she both looked absolutely miserable.

[3Hotdogs]

27. He had the "Hershey Squirts" from 3 breakfast sausage/egg McM's and couldn't wait for the

intermission so he could take the browns to the superbowl.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

33. I think you raised a good question

and I think experts in the field will weigh in, but not right away given the circumstances. The other thing is the trump thumbs up ,may have been his push back at G.W. Bush's warm greeting to Michelle Obama and handing off candy. To Trump ,that was viewed as fraternizing with his enemies. The handing off of his top coat to the marine at entry to seating is another red flag up. It was trumps way of bringing the attention of the television viewers to him-the spot light.

[montana_hazeleyes]

67. When I saw video of the coat situation,

I thought it was because he thinks he's to be waited on hand and foot wherever he is. Also showing he thinks everyone is below his sorry ass.

[The Genealogist]

34. The pictures I have seen suggest he is pouting

Like a petulant child whose mommy and daddy made him go to his sibling's piano recital, and who kicked the back of the driver's seat the whole way there. They should have supplied him with a coloring book with some American flags in it, so he could color them wrong, while the adults paid attention to the solemn proceedings.

[Grammy23]

36. He was pouty and petulant that he had to be there.

If he could have figured out a plausible reason to duck out, he would have. Melania probably tutored him on the etiquette requiring him to show up and for gawd’s sake don’t act up. Of course the body language was out of his control because he has no self awareness that your movements, facial expressions and body positioning speak loudly about what’s going on in your brain. You’d think someone wanting to be accepted by the elite would have memorized some basic etiquette rules and faked it just so he could pass the whiff test. But he can’t be bothered, having no idea that stuff matters. Knowing how to conduct yourself at rituals like funerals is important. He will never ever fit in even if he lives to be 100....gawd forbid. He just makes people tense and uncomfortable. And he has no clue why.

[JNelson6563]

38. There's this helpful guide

[dalton99a]

42. +1

[Denzil_DC]

46. That's fantastic! n/t

[Siwsan]

49. Scathingly Brilliant!

[ginny skinny]

51. Thanks!

Wish the picture could have included Hil and Jimmy with their thought balloons.

[yonder]

53. Made me laugh. That's damn funny.

[llmart]

55. That's the best laugh I've had all day!

[wryter2000]

77. I love that

[elocs]

39. I'm surprised that Trump hasn't done something this week to upstage GHWB's death and tributes,

and turn the attention to himself.

As far as body language, I did a speech on that some 40 years ago in college and still remember some of the basics like the arms crossed over the chest being a defensive posture. I've seen Trump do that as well when talking with the press and answering questions--he is all but hugging himself in a defensive posture.

But I've also seen him in meetings with foreign leaders and he would be sitting and leaning forwards with his fingers steepled and that's a sign that he is confident with himself or with what is happening or being said.

[bmbmd]

50. He doesn't belong among those men

and he knows it.

[AnnieBW]

54. He Wasn't The Center of Attention

He wants to be the groom at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.

[montana_hazeleyes]

68. That line just cracked me up!

[Factchekr]

56. Donny doesn't fit in

Trumpie desperately wants to be AS accomplished, bright and respected as everyone in that pew. Sigh....he knows he isn't like the other kids.

He is a rare turd in the presidential punch bowl.

[Talitha]

58. Perhaps he was invited to the funeral to teach him a lesson in humility.

And to give everyone a good giggle. I can just picture George and Barbara in the Beyond - holding hands again, laughing as the idiot-boy squirms and sulks.

[pandr32]

59. He was adjusting his height

He also has great peripheral vision. Like a buzzard.
I watched him when he first sat down. He often taps his index fingers together while the rusty gears grind in what could hardly be considered a mind.
He did so while trying to flatten his back and stretch it out so he would be taller than if he relaxed. He was keenly aware of former President Barrack Obama and Bill Clinton on his left and appeared to keep a side eye on them most of the time he was there.
He was measuring himself up against the fine pedigree of presidential people on his left.
Imagine that. He is so vain/insecure (or both), and so devoid of empathy or a sense of decorum, all he can think about is how he appears while in public.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

60. Melania made him change out of his Superman undies! He's pouting! n/t

[lunatica]

63. "Get me out of here!"

He’s been saying that all week.

[Totally Tunsie]

65. One of these things is not like the others.

[DFW]

66. Go back to where Obama mocked Trump at the WHC Dinner

Trump had exactly the same posture.

[randr]

72. Get me outta here???

[maveric]

74. He sat there like he was taking a dump.

My wife and I both noticed this.

[guillaumeb]

76. Trump suffers from Muelleritis.

A common affliction in his Administration.

[KT2000]

80. he cannot show respect

when it is called for, he expresses the opposite.

[Kahuna7]

81. His posture indicates, he's fat. And he needs to gap his legs wide so..

that his belly can rest on the seat of the chair.

[JuJuYoshida]

82. This kinda nails it