Donald Trump's 5-Word Warning to Emmanuel Macron at Pope Francis' Funeral Revealed by Lip Reader – Details

Donald Trump exchanged some words with Emmanuel Macron at Pope Francis' funeral, where his behavior rubbed online viewers the wrong way.

Recently shared video footage and pictures show U.S. President Donald Trump having a brief exchange with French President Emmanuel Macron right before Trump sat down for a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A lip reader has deciphered what Trump said to Macron at Pope Francis' funeral at the Vatican on Saturday morning, April 26, 2025.

According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, a tense moment unfolded between the political leaders, with Trump issuing a "frosty warning" to Macron.

Trump pulled Macron aside after the latter shared a warm embrace with Zelenskyy. Hickling, who analyzed the scene for The Sun, shared that Trump extended his hands to both Macron and Zelenskyy in a gesture to bring them in closer.

The footage shows the American and French political leaders' arms and hands circling each other, as Macron extends his arm slightly toward Trump's, which was just above Macron's.

According to Hickling's interpretation, Trump firmly addressed Macron, stating, "You are not in the right here, I need you to do me a favor, you should not be here." Zelenskyy, reportedly nodding in agreement, stood by as a vicar nearby reacted with visible concern.

Footage of the subsequent interaction between Trump and Zelenskyy also came under Hickling's scrutiny. She revealed that the Ukrainian leader seemed to push back diplomatically, saying, "I would like you to do that, but no this way [sic]." Trump's apparent reply? A cryptic yet telling remark, "It's a very interesting strategy. You have reassurance."

Following their brief mini peace summit, both presidents took to social media to pen messages about their discussion.

On X, Zelenskyy dubbed their encounter a "good meeting," noting his hope for results to follow all the things they spoke about, including protecting civilian lives, an unconditional and whole ceasefire with Russia, and everlasting, trustworthy peace to prevent a subsequent war from breaking out.

"Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS [sic]," concluded Zelenskyy.

He accompanied his message with a snapshot of their meeting. The photo shows the two political leaders engaged in a serious discussion — Zelenskyy, dressed in all black, leaning in close to Trump as he says something, while Trump, in a classic suit, also leans in, listening intently to what Zelenskyy has to say.

Posting on behalf of Trump, the official Instagram account for the White House collaborated with his official President of the United States (POTUS) profile. The post displays another image of the POTUS and the Ukrainian president engaged in their discussion amid the picturesque walls of St. Peter's Basilica.

"President Trump sat down to meet privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City this morning," reads the caption.

According to KTLA 5, Donald Trump also shared a post on Truth Social after the meeting, "strongly rebuking" Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioning the Russian leader's willingness to end the war.

Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy and encounter with Emmanuel Macron were not the only moments from Pope Francis' funeral to make headlines.

During the service, where the POTUS was joined by political leaders, spiritual figures, dignitaries, and mourners from around the world in paying their final respects to the late pontiff, he was captured behaving in a way that caused a firestorm of criticism online. This happened after netizens saw the footage that has since gone viral.

In the clip, Trump is captured on camera at three different moments during the funeral. In one instance, he is seen slipping a piece of gum into his mouth and chewing. In another, he sits with his head bowed, appearing focused on his phone.

At another point, he looks distracted, seemingly disengaged as the solemn service continues around him. Viewers were quick to point out Trump's behavior during the somber ceremony, sparking everything from dismay to disbelief.

One person, astonished by what they saw, exclaimed, "Gum??? No way!!" while another individual simply wrote, "Omg." Others zeroed in on what they felt was inappropriate behavior for such a solemn event, "Who chews gum in the funeral [sic]??"

The sentiment of disappointment was echoed by another person, "So disrespectful 🙏." Someone with similar feelings admitted, "I thought I was the only one who noticed with disappointment."

Some viewers also pointed out the contrast between Trump's appearance and that of other world leaders. "Compare Trump's suit to everybody else's. He was also texting and chewing gum. No class and no respect for the dress code," one person remarked, referring to how Trump wore a blue suit and tie while most others were dressed in black.

Criticism continued with another netizen pointing out, "Nor Trump from wearing a blue suit instead of black, chewing gum and looking at his phone that's DISRESPECTFUL [sic]."

Meanwhile, one commenter added humor to the moment, "Trump chewing gum at the Pope 's [sic] funeral. We can only see this behaviour in a Mr.Bean movie.😅😂🤣."

The moment has clearly stirred emotions across social media, with many feeling that Trump's behavior clashed with the respectful tone of the ceremony.

While Trump was mocked for exhibiting some uncommon behaviors during the pope's funeral, his wife luckily helped him avoid breaking a particular Vatican funeral protocol.

On April 21, 2025, Vatican News, a service provided by the Holy See's Dicastery for Communication about Pope Francis, the Vatican, and the Church, announced Pope Francis's death.

According to the death report issued by a Vatican doctor, the pope died at 7:35 a.m. at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta guesthouse, where he lived. The report also revealed that a cerebral stroke, followed by a coma and "irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse," caused his death.

The image shared by Vatican News included the pope's birth year, 1932, and the year of his death. Upon hearing about his passing, many mourners gathered in St. Peter's Square, holding rosaries and praying for him.

Reports shared that one mourner was seen wrapped in Argentina's flag, reflecting the late pope's homeland. Other people cried, while some simply stared at the empty balcony where Pope Francis had blessed the crowd the previous day.

One mourner said, "I am sad," and added, "He was very, very important." After the rosary, those gathered in St. Peter's Square erupted into applause. Among the people who attended the pope's funeral were the POTUS and First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS).

Upon hearing about the pope's death, the U.S. president posted a tribute on Truth Social, writing, "Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!" He also said he and his wife looked forward to attending.

Trump first announced that he and the FLOTUS would attend the funeral shortly after Pope Francis's death. Using the same social media platform, he wrote, "Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome."

Pope Francis's funeral was held on April 26, a date that happened to coincide with the FLOTUS's 55th birthday. The first lady spent her special day in Rome attending the late pontiff's funeral.

Multiple sources revealed that the FLOTUS is "religious" in private and "quiet" about her faith, but felt "honored" to attend the funeral despite the timing. A political source also noted that it was "not a chore for her to go to the funeral."

Another source agreed, noting that even though it is her duty as a world leader's spouse to show up for the service, she had "no issue" with spending her birthday morning there. The insider said, "She will make the most of her birthday in the time frame after the event."

The same source told People magazine, "She respected the pope," and added, "It is a sad time for Catholics around the world, and the first lady is honored to go to the funeral." Trump's wife is the first practicing Catholic U.S. first lady since the late Jackie Kennedy.

The FLOTUS met the first pope from Latin America in 2017 when she and her husband took their first trip abroad as first lady and president. At that time, she presented Pope Francis with rosary beads, which were then perceived as a confirmation of her faith.

A source close to the family shared that the first lady "admired" the pope, especially for "how he was loved by so many different kinds of people." The insider also revealed that the U.S. first lady is open-minded and respects different people and their opinions, adding, "They shared a love for children and their welfare."

The pope's funeral was seen as a significant event for her, "a life experience few are able to share." While attending the funeral, her husband had some awkward moments.

Before the Mass, the couple stopped to view the pope's coffin. While the first lady wore all black, including a traditional veil, her husband earned criticism for wearing a midnight blue suit to the funeral.

Trump also wore a matching tie and an American flag pin, making him stand out in the front row from the other world leaders gathered in Vatican City's St. Peter's Square. However, he was not the only one; several other attendees also wore suits in colors other than black, including ties in shades of blue, red, pink, and more.

Despite the different looks, attendees were not necessarily breaking protocol. According to an insider, the Vatican does not list a funeral dress code on its website, so attire for the ceremony was left up to individuals.

A Vatican source said, "Attendees wore what they considered to be appropriate attire for such a solemn occasion." Trump was not the only attendee criticized for being disrespectful because of his choice of attire.

Both former U.S. President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy were criticized by netizens for wearing a blue tie and no tie, respectively, while Prince William wore a navy suit to the ceremony. Criticizing Trump's look, one person shared a picture of him at the event, writing, "The only man at the Pope's funeral wearing a blue suit."

However, someone who replied to the post did not have an issue with the dress code, "He looks really good!" A netizen who also shared the same sentiment asked, "He was wearing a suit what's [sic] the problem?"

However, a critic questioned, "Did he even has [sic] a black suit?" One unimpressed netizen noted, "He Wore a Blue Suit at a Funeral." Defending the U.S. president, someone else remarked, "I watched the funeral and their was [sic] a lot of people in blue suits."

Trump also stood out for another aspect of his behavior at the funeral. However, his wife came to his rescue during a certain part of the ceremony.

During the three-hour Catholic Mass, there was a point when the congregation was invited to "offer each other a sign of peace" by shaking each other's hands. Footage showed Trump watching as everyone participated in the ritual without getting involved.

According to lip reader Hickling, his wife had to help him. Hickling revealed that the first lady instructed Trump to start shaking hands. Hickling said the FLOTUS whispered to her husband, "You should do it," before repeating herself.

Reportedly, Trump replied, "Oh, alright," before sticking out his hand to greet Estonia's president, Alar Karis, and Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. He then turned to Macron before grudgingly offering his hand.

The pair shared a prolonged handshake as Trump avoided what would have been a terrible blunder. The ceremony started at 10 a.m. local time before a procession to St. Mary Major, a basilica in central Rome that the late pontiff visited frequently during his life.

The late head of the Catholic Church had asked to be buried in a tomb inside the basilica in a simple wooden coffin, abandoning the traditional triple-casket arrangement. The basilica is smaller than the grottoes beneath St. Peter's, where 91 of his predecessors are buried.