Vice President JD Vance appeared visibly enthusiastic as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the White House, with a lip-reading expert offering an interpretation of several exchanges involving Vance, his wife Usha Vance, and Ivanka Trump. Lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling examined footage from the diplomatic arrival and suggested that Vance and Usha shared a playful moment while watching the proceedings. According to Hickling’s interpretation, Vance appeared to say, “I’m so excited,” prompting Usha to respond, “You are like a kid who has found their favorite toy.” Vance then appeared to answer with a brief but enthusiastic “yay.” Because lip-reading interpretations are inherently uncertain, the exchange should be understood as an interpretation rather than a confirmed transcript of what was said. Vance was also seen speaking with Ivanka Trump during the high-profile event, where Hickling interpreted their conversation as touching on President Donald Trump’s role in the occasion.

According to the lip reader’s account, Vance appeared to remark, “He’s having his moment. So proud of how far it’s all come. How crazy is that?” Ivanka was then interpreted as encouraging him to allow the president to enjoy the attention, saying, “Aww, don’t say that. Let him shine,” followed by, “We’re outta the woods now. It’s so funny.” The exchanges occurred as Xi arrived in Washington for the second day of a three-day state visit, accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan. Xi met with President Trump at the White House as the two countries continued discussions surrounding their relationship. Trade, artificial intelligence and broader U.S.-China relations were among the subjects expected to feature prominently in the leaders’ talks. While the lip-reading analysis has attracted attention because of the apparent comments from those gathered around Vance, the exact words cannot be independently established from silent footage alone.