A lip reader has uncovered a cutting two-word comment Donald Trump reportedly directed at Joe Biden during his inauguration.
Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, marking his return to office for a second term under the Republican Party. The ceremony took place inside the Capitol Rotunda due to freezing weather, deviating from the traditional outdoor stage setup at the U.S. Capitol.
Ahead of the ceremony, Biden and his wife, Jill, welcomed Trump and Melania to the White House as part of the customary transition of power. Expert lip reader Jeremy Freeman analyzed the brief interaction captured during a photo opportunity. According to Freeman, Biden greeted Trump with, “Welcome home,” to which Trump replied, “How are you? It’s so cold. I need to do my coat up, I’m freezing.” When Biden agreed, Trump reportedly quipped, “Shut up, Biden,” before joking, “It’s colder than when we ski.” Biden then responded, “It’s hello,” signaling his intention to head inside.
Trump’s presidency has already sparked widespread attention, both for his policy decisions and his interactions. Shortly after taking office, he signed a series of executive orders reversing several of Biden’s key policies. He withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement once again, reinstated Arctic oil drilling, and announced plans to recognize only two genders—male and female—as official U.S. policy. Trump also proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and reverting Alaska’s Denali back to Mount McKinley, a change originally made by President Barack Obama in 2015.
In his inaugural address, Trump emphasized his commitment to reshaping national policies, declaring, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.” He also issued pardons or commutations for over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Amid his whirlwind of executive actions, Trump reportedly discovered a farewell letter from Biden in the Oval Office, but only after being prompted by a journalist to check for it.
