Gavin Newsom appeared to make a surprising comment about Donald Trump’s presidency during a conversation with Justin Trudeau at a World Cup game, according to a lip-reading expert cited by the Daily Mail.
The California governor was seen speaking with the former Canadian prime minister during the United States’ game against Paraguay. The exchange appeared tense at moments, and the outlet’s lip-reading expert, Nicola Hickling, said the two seemed to be discussing Trump and his political strength.
According to Hickling, Trudeau began by saying, “Listen, I can tell you one thing I’ve learned from it.”
He then continued: “I was never really in the primary. You can’t see it because they’re rivalries, you can’t. It’s been four months.”
The exact subject of the conversation was not clear. The Daily Mail noted that Trump began the war in Iran four months earlier, on Feb. 28.
Newsom then turned away from the camera and appeared to whisper into Trudeau’s ear. Whatever he said prompted Trudeau to clasp his hands together before the two men seemed to offer rare praise for Trump.
“Yeah, Trump can beat them, but there’s no way, no way out of it,” Trudeau said, according to Hickling’s reading of the exchange.
Newsom then allegedly replied: “He will. He will survive. He is a far better president than any of them.”
The claim quickly drew attention because Newsom has been one of Trump’s most visible Democratic critics and is widely viewed as a possible 2028 presidential contender.
When the Daily Mail asked Newsom’s office for comment, his press officer dismissed the interpretation.
“Is your lip reader blind? Hahahahaha,” the spokesperson said.
Trudeau’s presence at the game also stirred criticism in Canada. Rather than attending his own country’s opening World Cup match, the former prime minister was at the USA game, where his girlfriend, Katy Perry, performed the American national anthem.
Trudeau later addressed the criticism on social media.
“Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call,” he wrote. “But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup.”
Newsom attended the game with his son, Hunter, and appeared relaxed in the stands. The appearance came shortly before he revealed that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, are under investigation by the Department of Justice.
Newsom has described the investigation as politically motivated and tied it directly to Trump.
“He isn’t coming after me because of mean tweets, but because I am considering running for president,” Newsom said.
The governor claimed Trump’s DOJ “have not found a crime — they are simply trying to find one.”
Newsom has also stepped up his attacks on Vice President JD Vance, another possible 2028 contender.
After journalist Aaron Rupar joked that Vance appeared to be “auditioning to be a Fox host” during an appearance on The Five, Newsom responded on X: “Makes sense. JD is going to need a job in 2028 since he won’t be president.”
In another post, Newsom criticized Vance over his defense of Trump’s economy.
“JD Vance can’t even defend Trump’s economy with a straight face,” he wrote. “Maybe that’s because Americans are getting crushed by it. Gas. Groceries. Inflation. ALL UP!”
He added: “These clowns are in over their heads.”