A professional lip reader claims to have decoded an intense exchange between Donald and Melania Trump at a weekend IndyCar race.
Nicola Hickling, a deaf lip reading expert with more than two decades of experience, said she believes the First Lady told the US president “I’m gonna go” before walking off during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington DC on Sunday, August 23. The couple had arrived at the event appearing united, taking a ceremonial lap of the 1.7-mile track in the presidential limousine before the race began.
According to Hickling’s assessment, the conversation began with Melania referencing what the lip reader described as a “private and valuable text.” The president then allegedly asked his wife: “Was it enough?” Hickling claims Melania replied: “I don’t know.” Donald is then said to have told her that he “needs to see it.”
The exchange continued with Melania telling him, “Donald, listen, I’m gonna go,” according to Hickling’s reading. The president supposedly responded: “Listen, she asked you not to close the door.” When Melania asked “why,” Hickling believes he told her: “It’s bad news, but it’s a bad timing Melania.”
Melania then reportedly said “that’s crazy” before leaning in to whisper something in her husband’s ear. Donald is alleged to have responded: “I’ve had enough of her.”
Hickling, whose website states her skillset “goes beyond identifying words” and that she can “capture tone, context, and nuance,” has previously analyzed Trump’s conversations at the World Cup final, his remarks after being booed at Madison Square Garden, and his interactions with French president Emmanuel Macron.
Footage of the exchange circulated widely on X, where social media users offered their own interpretations. One person wrote: “They don’t look happy.” Another remarked: “Where were they? Very public spot and she is tearing into him. She’s never spoken that much to him in public.” A third commented: “Trouble in paradise,” while a fourth speculated: “Looks like an argument.”
In the viral moment, the couple had initially presented a united front at the Freedom 250, an event marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Trump waved the green flag to start the 250-mile race, which Florida driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, won after leading for 128 laps. The course passed iconic monuments as drivers completed 147 laps.
The identity of the woman potentially referenced in the exchange remains unclear from Hickling’s analysis.