Joe Navarro is author of the international bestseller, What Every BODY is Saying.

Ever since the first televised presidential debate, in 1960, candidates have been judged not just for what they say, but also for how they act. Who can forget George H.W. Bush looking at his watch during a debate (as if he had somewhere else to go)? And of course there was the time candidate Donald Trump walked around the stage behind Hillary Clinton as if he were stalking her.

No one remembers what was said during those two debates, but everyone remembers those moments. Why? Nonverbal cues are humans’ most fundamental form of communication. We use them to assess friendliness, competency, danger and veracity—and even to pick our mates. Nonverbal communication—or body language—is hard-wired into our DNA.


I have studied nonverbal communication for 45 years, 25 of which I spent as a special agent with the FBI, where my job was to catch spies often using nothing more than body language. What I have learned is not only useful in catching criminals; it can be used to analyze politicians. From the moment the candidates appeared on the debate stage on Thursday, they sent messages with their walks and their waves, their clothes and their smiles. Here’s the story body language told at the debate.





Biden’s glabella



When it comes to nonverbals, psychological discomfort is always an attention grabber. When Julián Castro attacked Joe Biden not once but twice, questioning his recall and his policies, Biden squinted and furrowed his glabella (the small areas between the eyes just above nose). This is a classic sign of psychological discomfort—which could signal dislike, disdain or anxiety.

Castro used an unrelenting, machine-gunning verbal technique to go after Biden, and Biden let it rattle him. When someone attacks you like that, it’s best to pause and take a moment to calm yourself. Some might break the tension with a little laugh, a low exhale or a deep breath.

The fact that Biden’s discomfort was brought on by one of the less popular candidates was significant. Glabella furrowing can elicit sympathy from an observer. (Babies develop the ability to furrow their glabellas at 3 to 6 weeks.) But when you see facial displays of psychological discomfort on someone with 40 years of government experience, brought on by a less experienced candidate who isn’t polling as well, it makes you wonder: Is he prepared for the onslaught that will come when he faces off against Donald Trump?



Booker and O’Rourke’s eyes



Cory Booker and Beto O’Rourke both grabbed attention with their speeches on gun control. Their eyes were focused—they didn’t wander all over the room. Their gestures were expansive and emphatic. When people speak passionately, taking up space with their gestures and focusing their gaze, it’s hard to turn away from them. The strong body language conveys that the speaker is not hesitating or equivocating; in other words, it’s a sign of authenticity.

These moments were also effective because the candidates’ strong, decisive speech patterns matched their body language. The brain prefers congruity, when someone’s tone of voice and manner of speaking is in sync with their physicality.



Harris and Buttigieg’s low energy hand gestures



Kamala Harris seemed less passionate compared with the other candidates, especially in the first hour. Her words were well chosen, but her hand gestures were less emphatic—less outward and forceful—than those of her opponents, particularly Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren.

Klobuchar and Warren both gestured with their outstretched hands to demark or highlight their points and would often touch their chest or breastbone to emphasize how they felt about what they were talking about. Touching the chest is a display of humanity. It signals “I am empathetic; what I am saying is deeply felt.” Booker used a similar gesture, touching his stomach.

But when Harris was trying to be emphatic, notice her elbow was tucked in, the arm was close to her body, and she demarked her statements with a closed fist. She might have set herself up for good soundbites, but these small, closed gestures took away from her message. I saw this when I used to do jury consulting. I would ask jurors about the attorneys’ performance, and they invariably thought attorneys with smaller gestures lacked confidence and self-assurance.

It was Pete Buttigieg, however, a former military officer, who had the smallest gestures on stage. Leaders typically should use broad but smooth gestures. (The brain prefers smoothness—gestures that get your attention but aren’t jittery.)



Cory Booker’s precision grip



Cory Booker likes to speak with what is called a precision grip, where he brings the index finger and thumb together to form a circle. This gesture, common in Mediterranean countries, is used to demonstrate that a cogent thought is being discussed, and the gesture is powerful in saying, “I have thought about this and I am talking about it with precision.”

I didn’t see anyone else on the stage make that gesture. Most made points with their thumbs pressed against up the underside of their index finger—a gesture made famous by Bill Clinton. Pete Buttigieg and sometimes Kamala Harris favored making points with a curled index finger with the thumb pressed behind. None of these gestures are as dramatic or effective as a precision grip.



Tieless Andrew Yang



Yes, clothes send nonverbal messages too. Andrew Yang did not wear a tie to this debate. If he thought it did not matter, he was wrong. He also made a mistake by wearing a lapel-pin flag on the right side of his body, when it should be worn over the heart on the left side. These are small incongruities that stick out to observers, who will focus in on things that look odd or stand out.

So what’s the takeaway? During the debate your brain was busy processing images and words, in that order. You might have thought your favorite candidate had a perfect performance; you might feel indifferent about others. But in time, your subconscious will process all these images and words and will make you take notice of some things you might never have thought about. If you find yourself considering someone you ignored before, or growing more accepting of one candidate, it is no accident. It is in part due to your exposure to what you saw Thursday—whether it was a glabella furrowing, a narrow gesture or a missing tie.

