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MSNBC weekend anchor Joy Ann Reid host invited Janine Driver on her show Saturday morning. Driver, who bills herself as a "body language expert," accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of being a liar on national television because he "turtles" his shoulders and lowers his "eye level" when he says certain things. (Photo: MSNBC/Screenshot)
'This Is Why No One Trusts the Media': MSNBC Slammed for Featuring 'Body Language Expert' Who Calls Sanders a Liar
While the Sanders campaign demanded an apology from the network, critics of Joy Ann Reid's morning show said the segment was "fraudulent garbage" and a "disgrace."
Jan 17, 2020
MSNBC and weekend anchor Joy Ann Reid came under fire from progressives and members of the Bernie Sanders campaign Saturday after airing a segment with a "body language expert" who--citing "eye level" and the turtling of the 2020 candidate's shoulders--accused Sanders of lying earlier this week when he denied ever telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren that a woman could not be president.
"This is unhinged," tweeted Meagan Day, a staff writer for Jacobin magazine, in response to the segment. "Genuinely divorced from reality."
The guest on Reid's show "AM Joy" was Janine Driver, who promotes herself as an "international communications expert" and the owner and president of the Body Language Institute. The segment sparked howls of criticism aimed at Driver, Reid, and the network.
\u201cJoy Reid brought on a \u201cbody language expert\u201d to accuse Bernie of lying because his physical posture resembles that of a turtle. Really. https://t.co/CCfSJoGIkU\u201d— Michael Tracey (@Michael Tracey) 1579369483
"So now the slant is that he's physically intimidating too, oh and sexist," said writer and activist Malaika Jabali. "Totally cool, normal interpretation of someone being spontaneously confronted on national TV. It's getting outrageous."
While both the Warren and Sanders camp have appeared desirous to put the dust-up about what was or wasn't said during a private 2018 meeting behind them, Day--who openly supports Sanders as the better and more progressive candidate--was among those unwilling to disarm so long as the corporate media outlets continue to air such blatant and irrresponsible attacks to their massive audiences.
"I know there's a big push to move on but if the mainstream media is gonna broadcast this fraudulent garbage," said Day, "then I don't feel particularly compelled to drop it."
She was hardly alone.
"MSNBC is a fucking disgrace," said journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept. Greenwald said the use of "bullshit charlatan body language analysis" to call Sanders a liar was "appalling but typical" of the network.
Driver's performance in the interview led many to check her credentials, political leanings, and background:
\u201cHere\u2019s the body language expert Joy-Ann Reid had on to say Bernie Sanders lied, saying Obama had the CIA train ISIS\u201d— Ken Klippenstein (@Ken Klippenstein) 1579376379
\u201cHere\u2019s your \u201c body language expert\u201d #AMJoy \n\nIt\u2019s no wonder she had an unfavorable report on Bernie Sanders. \n\nEvidently she\u2019s personal friends with Joe Biden.\u201d— ForThePeople (@ForThePeople) 1579385691
Media critic Adam Johnson noted, "just to be clear 'body language experts' aren't actually a thing and MSNBC should stop having them on all the time in general."
Johnson--who has long documented the corporate media's bias against Sanders as a presidential candidate--added:
\u201cif you're wondering why MSNBC would do something this cynical and stupid it's because we're two weeks from the Iowa caucus and MSNBC has to do SOMETHING negative on Sanders but doesn't really have anything so inventing bad things with crackpots is pretty much all they can do\u201d— Adam H. Johnson (@Adam H. Johnson) 1579378095
Sanders' national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray also denounced the segment and said the "campaign is owed an apology" by the network.
"What are they going to do next, phrenology?" Gray said. "This is why no one trusts the media."
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MSNBC and weekend anchor Joy Ann Reid came under fire from progressives and members of the Bernie Sanders campaign Saturday after airing a segment with a "body language expert" who--citing "eye level" and the turtling of the 2020 candidate's shoulders--accused Sanders of lying earlier this week when he denied ever telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren that a woman could not be president.
"This is unhinged," tweeted Meagan Day, a staff writer for Jacobin magazine, in response to the segment. "Genuinely divorced from reality."
The guest on Reid's show "AM Joy" was Janine Driver, who promotes herself as an "international communications expert" and the owner and president of the Body Language Institute. The segment sparked howls of criticism aimed at Driver, Reid, and the network.
\u201cJoy Reid brought on a \u201cbody language expert\u201d to accuse Bernie of lying because his physical posture resembles that of a turtle. Really. https://t.co/CCfSJoGIkU\u201d— Michael Tracey (@Michael Tracey) 1579369483
"So now the slant is that he's physically intimidating too, oh and sexist," said writer and activist Malaika Jabali. "Totally cool, normal interpretation of someone being spontaneously confronted on national TV. It's getting outrageous."
While both the Warren and Sanders camp have appeared desirous to put the dust-up about what was or wasn't said during a private 2018 meeting behind them, Day--who openly supports Sanders as the better and more progressive candidate--was among those unwilling to disarm so long as the corporate media outlets continue to air such blatant and irrresponsible attacks to their massive audiences.
"I know there's a big push to move on but if the mainstream media is gonna broadcast this fraudulent garbage," said Day, "then I don't feel particularly compelled to drop it."
She was hardly alone.
"MSNBC is a fucking disgrace," said journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept. Greenwald said the use of "bullshit charlatan body language analysis" to call Sanders a liar was "appalling but typical" of the network.
Driver's performance in the interview led many to check her credentials, political leanings, and background:
\u201cHere\u2019s the body language expert Joy-Ann Reid had on to say Bernie Sanders lied, saying Obama had the CIA train ISIS\u201d— Ken Klippenstein (@Ken Klippenstein) 1579376379
\u201cHere\u2019s your \u201c body language expert\u201d #AMJoy \n\nIt\u2019s no wonder she had an unfavorable report on Bernie Sanders. \n\nEvidently she\u2019s personal friends with Joe Biden.\u201d— ForThePeople (@ForThePeople) 1579385691
Media critic Adam Johnson noted, "just to be clear 'body language experts' aren't actually a thing and MSNBC should stop having them on all the time in general."
Johnson--who has long documented the corporate media's bias against Sanders as a presidential candidate--added:
\u201cif you're wondering why MSNBC would do something this cynical and stupid it's because we're two weeks from the Iowa caucus and MSNBC has to do SOMETHING negative on Sanders but doesn't really have anything so inventing bad things with crackpots is pretty much all they can do\u201d— Adam H. Johnson (@Adam H. Johnson) 1579378095
Sanders' national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray also denounced the segment and said the "campaign is owed an apology" by the network.
"What are they going to do next, phrenology?" Gray said. "This is why no one trusts the media."
MSNBC and weekend anchor Joy Ann Reid came under fire from progressives and members of the Bernie Sanders campaign Saturday after airing a segment with a "body language expert" who--citing "eye level" and the turtling of the 2020 candidate's shoulders--accused Sanders of lying earlier this week when he denied ever telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren that a woman could not be president.
"This is unhinged," tweeted Meagan Day, a staff writer for Jacobin magazine, in response to the segment. "Genuinely divorced from reality."
The guest on Reid's show "AM Joy" was Janine Driver, who promotes herself as an "international communications expert" and the owner and president of the Body Language Institute. The segment sparked howls of criticism aimed at Driver, Reid, and the network.
\u201cJoy Reid brought on a \u201cbody language expert\u201d to accuse Bernie of lying because his physical posture resembles that of a turtle. Really. https://t.co/CCfSJoGIkU\u201d— Michael Tracey (@Michael Tracey) 1579369483
"So now the slant is that he's physically intimidating too, oh and sexist," said writer and activist Malaika Jabali. "Totally cool, normal interpretation of someone being spontaneously confronted on national TV. It's getting outrageous."
While both the Warren and Sanders camp have appeared desirous to put the dust-up about what was or wasn't said during a private 2018 meeting behind them, Day--who openly supports Sanders as the better and more progressive candidate--was among those unwilling to disarm so long as the corporate media outlets continue to air such blatant and irrresponsible attacks to their massive audiences.
"I know there's a big push to move on but if the mainstream media is gonna broadcast this fraudulent garbage," said Day, "then I don't feel particularly compelled to drop it."
She was hardly alone.
"MSNBC is a fucking disgrace," said journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept. Greenwald said the use of "bullshit charlatan body language analysis" to call Sanders a liar was "appalling but typical" of the network.
Driver's performance in the interview led many to check her credentials, political leanings, and background:
\u201cHere\u2019s the body language expert Joy-Ann Reid had on to say Bernie Sanders lied, saying Obama had the CIA train ISIS\u201d— Ken Klippenstein (@Ken Klippenstein) 1579376379
\u201cHere\u2019s your \u201c body language expert\u201d #AMJoy \n\nIt\u2019s no wonder she had an unfavorable report on Bernie Sanders. \n\nEvidently she\u2019s personal friends with Joe Biden.\u201d— ForThePeople (@ForThePeople) 1579385691
Media critic Adam Johnson noted, "just to be clear 'body language experts' aren't actually a thing and MSNBC should stop having them on all the time in general."
Johnson--who has long documented the corporate media's bias against Sanders as a presidential candidate--added:
\u201cif you're wondering why MSNBC would do something this cynical and stupid it's because we're two weeks from the Iowa caucus and MSNBC has to do SOMETHING negative on Sanders but doesn't really have anything so inventing bad things with crackpots is pretty much all they can do\u201d— Adam H. Johnson (@Adam H. Johnson) 1579378095
Sanders' national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray also denounced the segment and said the "campaign is owed an apology" by the network.
"What are they going to do next, phrenology?" Gray said. "This is why no one trusts the media."
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LATEST NEWS
Trump White House Says Military Occupation of Nation's Capital Set to Expand
One critic accused the president of "testing the limits of his power, hoping to intimidate other cities into submission to his every vengeful whim."
Aug 13, 2025
The Trump administration's military occupation of Washington, D.C. is expected to expand, a White House official said Wednesday, with President Donald Trump also saying he will ask Congress to approve a "long-term" extension of federal control over local police in the nation's capital.
The unnamed Trump official told CNN that a "significantly higher" number of National Guard troops are expected on the ground in Washington later Wednesday to support law enforcement patrols in the city.
"The National Guard is not arresting people," the official said, adding that troops are tasked with creating "a safe environment" for the hundreds of federal officers and agents from over a dozen agencies who are fanning out across the city over the strong objection of local officials.
Trump dubiously declared a public safety emergency Monday in order to take control of Washington police under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act. The president said Wednesday that he would ask the Republican-controlled Congress to authorize an extension of his federal takeover of local police beyond the 30 days allowed under Section 740.
"Already they're saying, 'He's a dictator,'" Trump said of his critics during remarks at the Kennedy Center in Washington. "The place is going to hell. We've got to stop it. So instead of saying, 'He's a dictator,' they should say, 'We're going to join him and make Washington safe.'"
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) have both expressed support for Trump's actions. However, any legislation authorizing an extension of federal control over local police would face an uphill battle in the Senate, where Democratic lawmakers can employ procedural rules to block the majority's effort.
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Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois, said Monday that the president's D.C. takeover "is another telltale sign of his authoritarian ambitions."
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CCR continued:
The letter to Jennings opens a new front in the effort to hold GHF accountable. The Center for Constitutional Rights letter provides extensive evidence that, far from alleviating suffering in Gaza, GHF is contributing to the forced displacement, illegal killing, and genocide of Palestinians, while serving as a fig leaf for Israel's continued denial of access to food and water. Given this, Jennings has not only the authority, but the obligation to investigate GHF to determine if it abused its charter by engaging in unlawful activity. She may then file suit with the Court of Chancery, which has the authority to revoke GHF's charter.
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