A professional lip reader claims to have revealed what Donald Trump said to Melania at Pope Francis’ burial in Vatican City on Friday (April 26).
The US president and first lady were among thousands of mourners, including foreign leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who came to St. Peter’s Basilica to pay tribute to the late pope, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
Trump and Zelenskyy allegedly had a brief, informal meeting before the burial ceremony, their first face-to-face encounter since their bitter fight at the White House in February. As the service began, Trump stood out from the otherwise black-clad throng in a striking blue suit. Melania, a devoted Roman Catholic, donned a traditional black jacket and pencil skirt with a dark lace veil.
Although earlier reports suggested that the Trumps would be sitting in the rear, live TV coverage showed them prominently among the dignitaries.
Cameras filmed a brief conversation between the pair as the crowd stood halfway through the two-hour ritual. Nicola Hickling, a self-described forensic lip reader from Lip Reader Limited, told the Express that she believes she has interpreted Trump’s words: “I’ll go over and speak with him.”
It’s unclear who Trump was referring to, but Hickling observed Melania answer with a fleeting “side-eye” glance rather than a spoken response.
Trump, raised Presbyterian but later identified as a non-denominational Christian, has consistently sought Catholic votes. Speaking to Fox News on his presence at the funeral, Trump stated, “I just thought it was out of respect.” I won the Catholic vote by a large margin, and I believe it was the first time a Republican had done so. I have an excellent relationship with Catholics. “Very simple.”
He went on, “We did well with the Catholic vote — I got 56%—and honestly, I don’t know how they got any of the rest.”
Melania’s Catholic faith has been an important component of her public image; she is the first Catholic First Lady to dwell in the White House since Jacqueline Kennedy. Melania described her encounter with Pope Francis on an official visit to the Vatican in 2017 as amazing, even bringing rosary beads for the pontiff to bless.
You have to admire Air Force One’s candour. Trump is attending Pope Francis’ burial because he received a tiny majority of Catholic voters in the last election. He is astonished he did not gain a larger majority. pic.twitter.com/zXMoOmuc6x
— Marion Smith (@smithmarion), April 26, 2025.
In a post on X (previously Twitter), she reflected on the experience: “Today’s visit with His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex is one I’ll never forget.” I was humbled by the honor. Many blessings to everyone.
