Earlier this week, the Trumps made headlines after a malfunctioning escalator abruptly stopped while they were ascending it at the UN Headquarters.
A video of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appearing to argue aboard Marine One has sparked widespread speculation online. While their conversation was inaudible, forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman suggests the couple was discussing a recent escalator malfunction at the United Nations not having a personal disagreement, as many assumed.ย A brief but intense-looking exchange between Donald and Melania Trump was captured as they were sitting on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House. The body language including Trump pointing a finger at Melania gave rise to assumptions of a disagreement, quickly going viral across social media.
However, experts suggest the moment may have been misinterpreted.
Lip reader says it was about the UN escalator glitchย
Forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman, in a report shared by Daily Mail, claims the couple wasn’t arguing, but rather discussing the malfunctioning escalator they recently encountered at the United Nations General Assembly.
Melania: “You just continued.”
Trump: “It was unbelievable. How can you do that?”
Freeman also noted that Melania seemed to say โDonald, look at meโ just before stepping off the helicopter, implying the interaction was more about the earlier incident than a personal dispute.
The escalator incident that grabbed headlinesย
Earlier this week, the Trumps made headlines after a malfunctioning escalator abruptly stopped while they were ascending it at the UN Headquarters. The video, widely circulated online, showed the couple momentarily confused by the halt in motion. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric later clarified that the stoppage occurred because a built-in safety mechanism was triggered. According to officials, a member of Trumpโs video team may have accidentally activated the safety feature by moving backwards on the escalator to capture the coupleโs arrival.
This isnโt the first time the Trumpsโ body language has gone viral.ย