US President Donald Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to have an intense conversation at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with a lipreader claiming to have decoded parts of their private exchange.
Footage from the event showed Trump and Leavitt leaning toward each other and speaking at their dinner table before the meal. According to the Irish Star, lipreader Nicola Hickling analyzed the interaction and claimed Trump warned Leavitt that she was being watched.
What they reportedly said
Hickling alleged that Trump began the conversation by saying, “They have eyes around you today.”
Leavitt was reportedly heard responding, “That’s true,” before Trump allegedly asked, “Did you know that?” The lipreader claimed Leavitt replied, “I didn’t know that.”
The meaning behind the alleged exchange remained unclear, and neither Trump nor Leavitt has publicly confirmed the conversation.
Trump was then allegedly seen telling Leavitt, “It’s stressful when you can’t see it going on; it’s like you’re on high alert,” according to Hickling’s interpretation.
Later in the interaction, Hickling claimed Trump said, “Why don’t you ask him?” before adding, “But then again, he could be watching.”
The claims are based on lip-reading analysis and have not been independently verified by HT.com.
Karoline Leavitt attends WHCD without Melania Trump
Leavitt attended the dinner as Trump’s companion after First Lady Melania Trump skipped the rescheduled event.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was postponed earlier this year following a security incident at the original gathering. The rescheduled dinner took place on July 24 at the Waldorf Astoria.
A White House spokesperson told the Daily Beast that Melania Trump did not attend because of prior commitments. Her absence sparked speculation on social media, with several users questioning why she was not present at the event.
Melania had attended the original WHCD in April, where she was standing beside Trump when an alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, reportedly breached security and opened fire. The incident led to the event being postponed.
Following the incident, Melania’s senior adviser Marc Beckman told Fox News that she remained calm during the situation. “You might be surprised, but no, she was not frightened. She was in full control,” Beckman said.
He added that Melania followed Secret Service instructions and encouraged others around her to do the same.
