The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and spotting celebrities in the stands during games is not uncommon.
On Saturday, June 13, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to support the USA in its clash with Paraguay, with California Governor Gavin Newsom by his side.
The duo, according to a lip-reader for a prominent news outlet, appeared to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump, with Newsom allegedly describing him as “far better” than anyone else who has served in the role.
Highlights
- A lip-reader claimed Gavin Newsom praised Trump when speaking to Justin Trudeau at the FIFA World Cup.
- This alleged remark came shortly before he publicly pushed back against the president, accusing him of using the Department of Justice to target him.
- Trudeau, for his part, drew criticism from some Canadians for missing a home team match to attend a fixture involving the United States.
If true, the confession would be striking, given that Newsom is a prominent Democratic critic of Trump and has expressed ambitions to replace him in 2028.
The Democrat California governor allegedly praised Trump as the best president in American history
Image credits: cagovernor/Instagram
Nicola Hickling, the hearing-impaired founder of LipReader Ltd, carried out the lip-reading analysis for a Daily Mail article published on June 18.
Trudeau and Newsom appeared locked in a tense exchange during the game, which went in the USA’s favor by 4–1.
As Newsom shared his views about Trump with Trudeau, the latter shook his head and allegedly said, “Listen, I can tell you one thing I’ve learned about it. You can’t see it because they’re rivals. But it’s been four months.”
Image credits: justinpjtrudeau/Instagram
It wasn’t clear what exactly the pair was discussing, but Trump notably started a conflict with Iran four months ago, on February 28.
Newsom responded to Trudeau with his back to the camera, with Trudeau reacting to whatever he said by clasping his hands.
Hickling claimed the former politician potentially offered rare praise for Trump.
“Yeah, Trump can beat them, but there’s no way out of it,” he apparently said.
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Newsom offered, “He will. He will survive. He is a far better president than them.”
The Daily Mail requested comment from Newsom’s press officer.
“Is your lip reader blind? Hahaha,” they were reportedly told.
Gavin Newsom attended the FIFA World Cup while facing an ongoing investigation from the Trump administration
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The California governor released a video on Monday, June 15, claiming he is under investigation by the Department of Justice, before any announcement from the law enforcement unit was made.
Newsom claimed that federal agents have been knocking on the doors of his friends and family members, “demanding random documents.”
Image credits: eliasquijada2/TikTok
His office said agents have asked questions on a wide range of topics and subpoenaed bank records from not only the governor but also his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker and founder of a nonprofit that raises awareness about gender stereotypes.
“A public servant. A woman who’s dedicated her life to supporting women and girls. Someone who has done nothing wrong other than having the temerity to advocate for what she believes in. If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of my children,” Newsom lamented.
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The investigation against him, by his assessment, is payback for his political ambitions.
“Trump isn’t coming after me because of my mean tweets. He’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president,” he said.
Image credits: eliasquijada2/TikTok
Newsom isn’t one to back out, though, as he reiterated his future candidacy by issuing a scathing response to his potential rival, JD Vance, this week.
The vice president appeared as a co-host on Fox News’ show The Five on Tuesday, June 16. This led journalist Aaron Rupar to joke on X that he was “auditioning to be a Fox host, apparently.”
“Makes sense. JD is going to need a job in 2028 since he won’t be president,” Newsom replied.
Trudeau was criticized for attending the USA–Paraguay clash instead of an earlier Canada match
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Canada faced Bosnia and Herzegovina just hours before the USA–Paraguay match.
Trudeau’s girlfriend, Katy Perry, performed at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as part of the opening ceremony for the United States’ FIFA campaign. She sang the U.S. national anthem before performing Wonder, the closing track from her seventh studio album, 143.
Image credits: FIFA/YouTube
Trudeau later took to social media to clarify that he attended the match to support Perry, not the U.S. team.
“Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup,” he said.
Image credits: katyperry/Instagram
However, the explanation did little to quell criticism from Canadians.
“This is the same prime minister who demanded everyone boycott America,” one X user wrote.
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“Remember when Trudeau spent years patting himself on the back and taking credit for securing the World Cup bid for Canada? But the second the tournament actually starts, and our national team takes the pitch, he completely ghosts us,” another posted.
“I’m very disappointed that Trudeau did not attend the Canada World Cup opening game. It’s not about ‘going to a soccer game with his girlfriend.’ It’s about going to the USA game instead of Canada,” a third noted.
Despite the chatter, Trudeau and Perry were seen kissing in the stands following her performance.
"They look like evil brothers conspiring against their father, the king," a netizen said about Newsom and Trudeau
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