Donald Trump left fans cringing during Chelsea FC’s victory celebration at the FIFA Club World Cup Final on July 13. The former president was present at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Chelsea triumphed over Paris Saint-Germain with a 3–0 win.

After the match, Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino to hand over the trophy. But instead of stepping aside like Infantino, Trump stayed with the celebrating players—a move viewers called “embarrassing.”

Lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling shared insights with OLBG, revealing what may have been said during the awkward exchange. According to Hickling, Chelsea star Cole Palmer looked confused and asked, “Can you ask him to move this way?… wait, what’s going on?”

Trump allegedly wanted to hold the trophy with team captain Reece James, prompting James to respond, “I got this.” James then turned to goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, saying, “It’s actually heavy.” Trump reportedly told Sánchez, “What? Let’s go,” to which Sánchez gestured calmly and said, “On the count of three, come on, come on.”

Palmer later admitted in an interview he didn’t expect Trump to join the stage, adding, “I was a bit confused.”

To make matters worse, Trump was reportedly booed by the crowd when shown on stadium screens. Body language expert Darren Stanton described Trump’s behavior as “inauthentic,” saying his enthusiasm looked forced—“like a dad at a wedding trying to fit in.”