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It was clear who won the vice-presidential debate last night: Sen. Kamala Harris, who skillfully took us through the failures of the Trump administration, from its handling of COVID to its billionaire-loving tax bill to Trump’s refusal to denounce white supremacy. But in second place? Harris’ extremely relatable facial expressions, which helped us survive the entire ordeal. (We’ll call the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head a close third.) 

As Vice President Mike Pence told bold-faced lies, from “Joe Biden’s going to raise your taxes” to Trump is going to “listen to the science” on climate change, and made outrageous statements like Harris and Biden were “playing politics with people’s lives,” the split-screen often showed Harris making an expression of incredulity that many of us recognize from other times Harris interacted with other powerful, duplicitous men, like Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She also squinted, as though in disbelief, laughed and smiled when it was all too outrageous, expressed the all-knowing side-eye, and deployed a few well-placed The Office-style I’m-staring-straight-at-the-camera looks. 

As a woman, and as a Black woman, Harris has to walk a fine line in order not to be labeled too aggressive or “angry” — and she knows that. But contrasted to Pence’s “stoniness,” her emotion came across as authentic and effective, body language expert Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, told Refinery29. While Harris displayed emotional range, Pence “rushed through” the story of Breonna Taylor not receiving justice after being killed by police, only showing real emotion and anger toward “rioting and looting.” He showed more anger about the destruction of property than about the loss of human life. “His voice became louder and stronger and he moved forward. It was the most emotion he showed so far in the debates,” Wood said.

Wood analyzed some of Harris’ most common facial expressions for us, ahead.

An example of “my face will say it before my mouth do” #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/o7PBeVwwrO

— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) October 8, 2020

The squint: “The aperture of the eye naturally narrows when we don’t like what we see. So that’s a natural response to both his deception and his rule-breaking, going over time and interrupting her.”

Every woman I know can relate pretty hard to her facial expressions tonight. #VPDebate  #VicePresidentialDebate pic.twitter.com/d8cjgcqTBS

— KC Lemson (@kclemson) October 8, 2020

The side-eye: “The side-eye is something that women do more than men. Because women traditionally have less power, they may not be able to deal with conflict directly by attacking so instead they come in from the side, indirectly. People get punished for glaring, but rarely for giving a side-eye.”

yall#VPDebate pic.twitter.com/iEktBaKxfK

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 8, 2020

The inimitable look of incredulity (which might incorporate a side-eye and/or a squint): “This is something that Harris has done for a long time. It’s a baseline behavior, often including a smile and head-shaking and tilted head. It works for her especially as a woman who has to battle the stereotype that women shouldn’t get angry. I have seen men yell and scream, pound their fist on the table, and even cry in congressional hearings with her, and she will use this technique with them. Her response to them is just what we saw tonight. A calm, restrained manner — and it works because it makes the other person look ridiculous. It also shows her sense of humor, and it may get others to laugh at Pence.” 

Kamala Harris just laughs after Mike Pence interrupted her: ‘Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking’ https://t.co/GZABF5AKLf pic.twitter.com/iwTJfVWEKh

— R. Saddler 🌊 Vote Early in Person (@Politics_PR) October 8, 2020

The “I’m speaking” smile (sometimes turning into a laugh): “I said in my pre-debate interviews to watch for her smiles. It’s fascinating that she is using smiles to respond to Pence when he is giving false information. Smiling and shaking her head in disbelief are the softest ways for her to respond. For those viewers who were expecting her to look angry, they are seeing her maintain her calm. It’s also notable that Pence rarely smiles.”

this is the hand clasp my mom used to do when she tried to help me with my math homework when I was a kid #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/T2jFKVMu5P

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 8, 2020

The hand clasp: “It’s a ‘modified steeple’ [with the hands]. It doesn’t have the more aggressive little pointy top of the church. It’s a way of showing power and control over her opponent. Most often, you see people hold the steeple low on the body, but here she’s holding it higher — she’s showing her power in a contained, professional way.”

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Natalie Gontcharova, Khareem Sudlow