Stories
Trump's Old Post Slamming Obama Over Xi's Welcome Resurfaces Amid Grand Reception
- •Donald Trump criticized Barack Obama in 2012 for hosting then-Chinese VP Xi Jinping with a full honor ceremony at the Pentagon.
- •Trump's 2012 tweet called Obama's welcome for Xi "So wrong!" and linked it to the US budget deficit.
- •Now as president, Trump is giving Xi Jinping an even grander welcome, personally greeting him at Joint Base Andrews, a rare protocol move.
- •Xi's current reception includes military pageantry, a red carpet, honor guard, gun salute, and ceremonial flyovers by B-1B and B-2 bombers.
- •This isn't the first time Trump has done something he previously criticized Obama for, as seen with his past predictions of Obama starting a war with Iran.
Key Questions Answered
The post resurfaced because President Donald Trump gave Chinese President Xi Jinping an even grander and more elaborate welcome during Xi's state visit to Washington. Unlike standard protocol where US presidents receive foreign leaders at the White House, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally traveled to Joint Base Andrews to greet Xi and his wife.
Xi Jinping's state arrival featured a red carpet, an honor guard, a gun salute, and ceremonial flyovers by US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers at Joint Base Andrews. The main White House ceremony included 479 members of the US Armed Forces, full military honors, the US Army Herald Trumpets, the US Marine Band, a presidential salute, a military review in the Rose Garden, and a final flyover by a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and four F-22 Raptors.
Between 2011 and 2013, Trump repeatedly posted predictions that Barack Obama would start a war with Iran to improve his re-election chances. These past remarks resurfaced after the US under Trump joined Israel in launching strikes against Iran in February, leading to a months-long US-Iran war.
