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Published 12:33 31 Jul 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has found himself at the center of a bizarre online storm after footage from a high-profile funeral led social media users to make wild claims about an alleged foul smell inside a cathedral.
The US leader was allegedly the dealer of a bum note at former South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral, and, no, he wasn’t the organ player.
The 80-year-old US president attended a memorial service at Washington National Cathedral alongside American officials and international dignitaries to remember Graham, who died unexpectedly earlier this month following an aortic rupture.
Although Trump was seated prominently in the front row, many viewers online became focused on the person sitting directly behind him, who appeared to react to something unusual during the ceremony.
Sharing the clip on X, formerly Twitter, a journalist wrote: “Look at the guy behind Trump (who is asleep). It smells crazy back there.”
The video quickly spread across social media, with users speculating about what may have caused the man's reaction and making unverified jokes about the president.
One person wrote: “Even at Lindsey Graham's funeral, Donald Trump s**** his pants. The poor secret service agent behind him looks like he is going to die.”
Another joked: “Oh man that dude sniffed deep there for a second. Probably burned out some taste buds there my dude.”
A further comment added: “You know Trump smells something fierce when the guy behind him has to clench his teeth and nose to soften the odor.”
However, there is no evidence to confirm the reason behind the man's expression, while the White House rejected other claims circulating online that Trump had fallen asleep during the service.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Independent: “President Trump was reflecting on the loss of his dear friend Lindsey Graham, who he just delivered a beautiful eulogy to. Anyone suggesting otherwise is a depraved moron.”
The incident comes as Trump continues to face scrutiny over his health following his return to the Oval Office.
Previous claims about the president's condition have circulated online, including comments from physical therapist Adam James, who previously suggested Trump was “not going to be around much longer.”
James alleged that the president has congestive heart failure (CHF) and chronic kidney failure, though those claims have not been independently verified or confirmed by official medical records.
The healthcare professional also claimed Trump could be receiving IV diuretics, medications that help remove excess fluid from the body by increasing urine production.
James said: “I have just received a DM from a source who confirmed for me that the President consistently smells like urine because of his urinary incontinence.”
He added: “This is on top of his bowel incontinence that he's been famous for, for years. The source also states that the President is receiving daily IV medications. This explains why his hands bruise so frequently.”
James continued: “Diuretics pull fluids off your body by acting on your kidneys and making you pee a lot more. This would explain why he is peeing all the time on himself and smells like pee.”
The allegations made by James have not been verified.
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Published 08:59 29 Jul 2026 GMT
US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have, once again, gone viral after a whispered exchange during Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral was allegedly decoded by a professional lip reader.
The brief conversation, which took place as the pair sat together during the service on Monday afternoon, has sparked widespread discussion online after the lip reader claimed to reveal what was said. However, the interpretation has not been independently verified.
Despite that, social media users have been quick to speculate about the alleged exchange, with clips from the funeral circulating widely across X, TikTok, and other social media platforms.
The moment has fueled a tirade of online reactions, as viewers attempted to interpret the leaders' body language and compare it with the lip reader's claims.
Nicola Hickling, a professional lip reader, indicated that they appeared to be deep in discussion regarding an unidentified guest, apparently describing someone as "bossy.”
Hickling claims that Trump began the exchange by saying: "I wonder what's going on with him?"
Before Vance can be seen saying: “I don't know, Don."
Trump then appeared to continue, asking: "Well you saw him crying, right?
Vance allegedly replied: "I did actually, it's 'cause she's bossy."
While the alleged transcript has generated considerable attention, there is no official confirmation that the conversation was accurately interpreted, and the claims remain unverified.
The comments came after Trump’s speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner last Saturday, an address he was widely condemned for an anti-media rant.
The same speech was also further scrutinized for being incoherent and nonsensical, with body language expert, Dr G. Explains releasing a detailed analysis of the divisive US leader’s behavior.
Dr G. noted that he has been “extensively covering President Trump’s mental decline, his strange brain glitches, his odd behaviors,” which he claims are “getting progressively worse.”
Referring to specific parts of Trump’s speech, he admitted: “I cannot figure out what on earth that’s in reference to or what it’s supposed to mean.” He adds: “I think that we are hearing internal thoughts out loud… I think there’s a lot of confusion.”
According to Dr G, the issue is twofold: “One is that he’s saying things that make no sense. And two, he seems unaware that he said it.”
He also points to signs of strain even when Trump appears to be following prepared remarks, claiming: “Even when he’s reading off the teleprompter he is struggling right now. He cannot get full sentences out. He gets distracted mid-sentence.”
Published 09:18 03 May 2025 GMT
Donald Trump is once again at the centre of a social media firestorm — and this time, it's for dressing up as the Pope. Well, digitally at least.
Just eleven days after Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, the US President shared an AI-generated image of himself decked out in full papal regalia — sparking outrage across the political and religious spectrum.
The image comes after the POTUS joked this week that he thinks he should be the next pope.
The Pope passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. His funeral, held on April 26 in Vatican City, drew hundreds of thousands of mourners to St Peter’s Square, including Trump and First Lady Melania. The couple joined countless other world leaders in paying their respects to the late Catholic leader.
However, any goodwill Trump might have gained by attending the funeral has been quickly torched online — after he posted an AI image showing himself in traditional papal attire, sitting on an ornate gold chair, wearing a cream mitre, and raising a finger in the air like he was about to deliver a blessing.
The image, shared to both Instagram and his Truth Social platform, came without a caption.
The backlash was immediate.
“Cannot believe this is real. I don’t expect any level of respect from Trump, but this is a new low,” one Instagram user wrote.
Another blasted the move as “extremely disrespectful,” saying: “Not funny. Not ‘rage bait’. As the president of the United States of America, you’d expect some decorum. The American people deserve better. Not some AI-generated slop of Trump masquerading as Pope. Trump isn’t even Catholic.”
One critic asked him to remove it: “Please take this down. Many Catholics, myself included, find this as a great disrespect to the past and future leader of our church.”
Another raged: “Trump, as someone outside the U.S., I find your post utterly disrespectful to the Catholic community worldwide. The papacy is a sacred institution for millions, and this mockery is an affront to their beliefs.”
Others were even blunter. “Completely disrespectful. The Catholic community is mourning and you post this?” wrote one user. “Psycho,” “blasphemous,” “disgusting,” and “classless” were just a few of the descriptors floating around in the replies.
Even some of his usual supporters bashed the move, with one person writing: "I voted, but what is this?" Another commented: "I can't defend this one".
Not everyone was offended. Some supporters praised the stunt, calling it “hilarious” and branding Trump “the ultimate troll".
"Funniest president ever," one fan wrote. Another added: "This is why they hate you but this is why we love you."
And while the image may have shocked, it didn’t come out of nowhere.
Just days earlier, while speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump had joked about who he’d like to see take over from Pope Francis. “I’d like to be pope — that’d be my number one choice,” he said.
That joke — which now reads less like a quip and more like a mission statement — was instantly pounced on by social media users.
“A convicted pope,” one person tweeted.
“Let me guess, ‘I’d be a better pope than any past pope’,” another mocked.
A third added: “If he becomes pope, then perhaps there will be historic changes in the religious system.”
And one more person nailed the absurdity of it all: “Why yes. Clearly Trump has a clear grasp on Catholicism. Question? If he doesn’t get two-thirds vote from the College of Cardinals, will Trump accuse the papacy of cheating?”
The chaos comes on the back of Trump’s already controversial appearance at the late Pope’s funeral, where he was criticised for wearing a non-traditional blue suit and chewing gum during the ceremony.
The Vatican conclave is set to begin on 7 May in the Sistine Chapel, where over 100 cardinals will gather in secret to select the next Pope. And while there’s no rule stopping someone from joking about becoming the next pontiff, there are a few actual requirements: candidates must be male, unmarried, at least 35 years old, and — minor detail — Catholic.
They also need to have studied theology, canon law, or the Bible.
But if Trump’s AI papal fantasy is any indication, he’s already dressed himself in the robes.
Published 13:57 22 Sep 2025 GMT
Donald Trump has been slammed after he was deemed to be doing "weird and inappropriate" actions at Charlie Kirk's funeral.
The funeral of the late right-wing activist took place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
In attendance was President Donald Trump, who had collaborated with Kirk during his election campaign trail.
While the President took to the stage to deliver a heartfelt speech, it was his behaviour with Kirk's wife, Erika, that caused outrage.
While singing 'America the Beautiful', Trump began doing an awkward dance as if he were conducting the crowd.
He then seemed to remember that he was at a funeral and regained composure, though by the smile on Erika's face, she wasn't concerned by what Trump was doing.
Regardless, people took to X to express their distaste, with one person writing: "This is so weird and inappropriate."
A second said: That tw*t hasn't got an ounce of empathy in his whole body. To him, everything is about him and is an act and performance!
Though a third defended Trump, writing: "There is nothing weird about President Trump's humanity in this moment."
At the end of his speech, the 79-year-old president and Erika embraced to applause, but it was Trump’s expression during the hug that soon went viral.
Clips shared on TikTok showed Trump’s face as he leaned into the embrace, with users dissecting what he might have been thinking.
One viewer, @literally_lyd, even gagged while watching the clip, commenting: “We can all read the thoughts going through his mind right? Like it’s not just me?... what is this timeline?”
Others weighed in with their own discomfort. “I was crawling out of my skin about how weird it was,” one wrote. Another said: “It’s my fault for having eyes.” A third added: “Omg!!! there are things I never needed to see.”
Speaking to the massive crowd, Erika Kirk delivered a heartfelt message about grief, love, and forgiveness.
"My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life," she said, referring to 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with the shooting.
"That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do."
She emphasized her faith, telling the audience: “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love - love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
Now stepping into leadership at Turning Point USA, Erika vowed to carry on her husband’s mission.
Published 08:10 26 Apr 2025 GMT
US President Donald Trump is among the world leaders and royalty in Rome, Italy, to celebrate the life of Pope Francis amid the pontiff's funeral.
However, one comment Trump made hours before the ceremony has been slated by social media users, with people branding the POTUS a "quintessential narcissist".
Trump and First Lady Melania arrived on Air Force One the night before the funeral, which is scheduled to take place at 10:00AM local time (4:00M EST) on Saturday in St Peter’s Square.
US Vice President JD Vance had met with Pope Francis only the day before his death.
Other world leaders in attendance include French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Argentinian President Javier Milei. Australia is represented by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
Kings and Queens attending include Queen Mary of Denmark, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
Prince William is attending on behalf of King Charles and the British royal family.
Pope Francis - who died on Easter Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88 - will be buried in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major, marking the first time in over a century that a pope will not be buried in St Peter’s Basilica.
Despite the world coming together to celebrate and honor the life of one of the most respected pontiffs in history, President Trump has been slammed for making the funeral "all about him" following comments he made on his journey to Europe.
During the flight to Rome, Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One.
Asked why he felt it was important to attend, Trump said he “just thought it was out of respect." Presumably, this would have been fine... that was, until the POTUS made the five-word comment: "I won the Catholic vote".
Trump continued: “I think it’s the first time that ever happened where a Republican won the vote, and I won it by a lot.”
“And you know, I have a great relationship to the Catholics. Very simple. But I won the Catholic vote, we got 56 per cent of the vote. I don’t know why we didn’t get more, actually I don’t know how they [the Democrats] got any. But we did well with the Catholic vote and my relationship is very good, so therefore you know I think it’s appropriate,” Trump continued.
After the clip was shared on X (formerly Twitter), Trump was accused of making the Pope's funeral "all about himself".
One user on X who shared the video criticized the comments, writing that Trump started "babbling about how he won the Catholic vote and made it all about himself like a quintessential narcissist.” Another user wrote, “It’s always about him. So if he didn’t win the Catholic vote he wouldn’t go?”
"'Out of respect', immediately trivializes it by talking about vote totals of Catholics," another X user added.
Another scathing tweet read: "He’s simply incapable of putting anything in normal human terms. He can’t just say that he went because the Pope was a decent man and an important spiritual leader of one billion people. It has to somehow be recast in his own terms and who voted for him. Imagine liking this guy."
According to reports, more than 50 heads of state and other dignitaries are attending the funeral, where President Trump will personally pay his respects to Pope Francis. The two men had previously disagreed on several issues, including immigration, the treatment of migrants, and climate change, ABC News reports.
In 2016, Pope Francis had commented on then-candidate Trump's "Build the wall" slogan, saying that anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants is “not Christian.”
Trump responded by calling the comment “disgraceful".
However, following Pope Francis' death, Trump praised the pontiff as a “good man” who “worked hard” and “loved the world.” He also ordered US flags to be flown at half-staff in Francis' honor.
Trump stated that he had initially expected to hold "a lot" of meetings with counterparts on the sidelines of the funeral, but later indicated he would scale that back: “Frankly, it's a little disrespectful to have meetings when you're at the funeral of a pope.” However, he added: “I'll be talking to people. I'll be seeing a lot of people.”
He noted that he might have meetings at Villa Taverna, the US ambassador's residence, where he spent the night, although time was limited due to his late arrival in Rome. Trump said: “It’s a little tough because we don’t have much time. I think that we’re going to try and see a couple of people that are important in what we’re doing."
Trump has been involved in efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and negotiate trade agreements with multiple countries.
He posted on Truth Social shortly after arriving in Rome that Ukraine and Russia should meet for “very high level talks” to end the three-year war sparked by Russia’s invasion. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier Friday, and Trump said both sides were “very close to a deal.”
It was unclear whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would attend the funeral. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush are not attending the funeral. A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton did not respond to an inquiry about his plans.
President Trump said he was not aware that former President Joe Biden planned to attend the funeral with his wife, Jill. Asked if they would meet, Trump said: "It’s not high on my list. It’s really not."
Published 15:52 27 Apr 2025 GMT
As world leaders gathered at the Vatican to mourn the death of Pope Francis, a private exchange between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron captured attention — and, according to a lip reader, carried a pointed warning.
During the funeral ceremonies at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday (April 26), Trump crossed paths with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Before the proceedings began, Trump and Zelenskyy were spotted speaking privately after Macron greeted the Ukrainian leader with an embrace.
Professional lip reader Nicola Hickling analyzed footage of the encounter for The Sun and claimed that Trump issued a frosty message to Macron.
According to Hickling, "Donald reaches his hands out to both of them and brings them towards him."
The lip reader added: "[Trump] says to Macron 'you are not in the right here, I need you to do me a favour, you should not be here.'
"Zelensky nods in agreement and the vicar who is in front of the camera turns his head to the side looking worried at what he has heard between them."
Hickling noted that Zelenskyy appeared to nod in agreement while a vicar standing nearby turned his head, seemingly reacting to what he overheard.
Following the tense moment, Trump and Zelenskyy pulled up chairs for what was described as a "mini peace summit." Hickling reported that Zelenskyy told Trump: "I would like you to do that, but no, this way," to which Trump allegedly replied: "It's a very interesting strategy. You have reassurance."
The White House later described the meeting as a "very productive discussion" and indicated that further talks were planned. Zelenskyy shared similar sentiments in a post on X, writing: "We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people."
Zelenskyy continued: "Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS."
Ukrainian presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov confirmed the meeting lasted around 15 minutes, telling France24: "The leaders agreed to continue their discussions today. Teams are working on organising the continuation of the meeting."
Images of the conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy quickly circulated across social media, highlighting the significance of the meeting amid ongoing tensions between the two leaders.
The brief Vatican sit-down marked the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since their heated Oval Office clash earlier this year.
Since that headline-grabbing confrontation, Trump's controversial peace proposal - which suggested ceding Crimea and parts of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia to Russia - caused a further rift.
Zelenskyy rejected the idea outright, stating: "There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory — the territory of the people of Ukraine."
Despite the friction, Trump has continued to advocate for negotiations, and it appears like the two presidents are once again on amicable terms.
However, the same may not be the case for Trump and Putin. Following the funeral, he posted a striking admission on Truth Social, referencing Russia’s recent assault on Kyiv: "There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days."
He added: "It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!"
The funeral of Pope Francis - who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 - drew mourners from around the world.
Held at St. Peter’s Square, the event marked a break from tradition, as Pope Francis requested a simpler funeral and chose to be buried at St. Mary Major rather than beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. His remains were placed in a plain wooden coffin, in contrast to the elaborate triple-layered sarcophagi used for previous pontiffs.
The ceremony, despite its understated nature, attracted vast crowds and a delegation of world leaders and royalty, including Prince William, who represented the British Royal Family.
The gathering of roughly a quarter million mourners provided a backdrop for a series of significant diplomatic interactions — including the tense and closely scrutinized meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, and Macron.
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