Lip reader reveals Melania Trump's five-word advice to Donald at Pope Francis' funeral

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN: Melania Trump arrived in Rome alongside President Donald Trump to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025.

Held in the heart of Vatican City, the emotional ceremony drew world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, former US president Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Prince William.

Amid the solemn proceedings, a quiet but telling exchange between the first lady and her husband caught the attention of a lip reader.

What did Melania Trump tell Donald Trump at Pope Francis' funeral?

During the solemn funeral of Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, a brief but notable moment between Melania and Donald Trump caught the attention of onlookers—and a lip-reading expert.

As hundreds of thousands gathered to pay their final respects to the late pontiff, who died on April 21, Melania was reportedly seen advising her husband on how to respond during a key part of the ceremony.

The first lady and President Trump had arrived earlier in the day from Washington, joining a host of global leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to a report by UNILAD, a brief exchange occurred during the two-hour service when attendees were invited to offer a “sign of peace” by shaking hands with those nearby.

Lip reading expert Nicola Hickling, speaking on behalf of Oddspedia to The Express, claims Melania turned to Trump and quietly said, “You should go do it.”

She allegedly repeated the five-word suggestion before Trump appeared to reply, “Oh, alright.” Moments later, he was seen shaking hands with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and France’s President Macron.

Before leaving, Trump reflected briefly on Pope Francis' death, telling MSNBC: “[He] loved the world, actually, and he was just a good man. I thought he was a fantastic kind of a guy."

The 47th president also noted the diplomatic opportunities the funeral presented, saying, “It's going to be very interesting. We're going to meet with a lot of the foreign leaders, they want to meet.”

He added optimistically, “Trade deals are going very well. I think Russia and Ukraine, I think they are coming along, we hope, very fragile. And Iran I think is going very well. We'll see what happens. We're working on plenty of things.”

Body language expert weighs in on Donald Trump's brief handshakes at funeral

Following Melania Trump’s quiet suggestion during the funeral service, lip reader Nicola Hickling decoded what she believes was her husband’s seven-word response: “I’ll go over and speak to him.” Hickling noted that Melania offered no verbal reply—just a pointed "side eye." As for who "him" referred to? That remains unclear. 

Providing further insight into the moment, body language expert Judi James described Melania’s whisper as “rather sweet”.

According to Irish Star, James said, “It took a rather sweet, smiling whisper from Melania to warn Trump that they were to participate in this ritual known as the 'Sign of Peace,' greeting others around them to register peace in the world.”

After exchanging brief handshakes, Trump reportedly engaged in a more pronounced interaction with French President Emmanuel Macron.

As he clasped Macron’s hand and pulled it toward his torso, the moment took on a tone of familiarity and dominance. James observed that Macron’s steady eye contact and warm smile suggested mutual respect, but Trump’s shifting gaze midway through the handshake signaled a break in focus.

“The two leaders clearly referenced their long-standing relationship here, although Trump did turn it into a distracted greeting at the end, turning his gaze to communicate with another leader while still clasping Macron's hand in his own,” she noted.