Overview

• During Pope Francis' funeral at St Peter's Square, Melania Trump discreetly prompted President Trump to participate in the sign of peace handshake.
• Lip readers identified Melania's instructions as 'You should do it' and 'Donald, look left,' leading Trump to engage with leaders like Emmanuel Macron and King Felipe VI.
• The funeral drew 250,000 mourners and numerous global dignitaries, including Ukrainian President Zelensky, with whom Trump had a productive bilateral meeting earlier that day.
• Melania, a practicing Catholic, attended the funeral on her 55th birthday, subtly influencing her husband's comportment during the solemn ceremony.
• This marked President Trump's first foreign trip as the 47th U.S. president, with the White House and Zelensky affirming the importance of their Vatican discussions.