“Such a great honor. In May, we had the great privilege of visiting you in Beijing. … From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship. … May all of our people know a future of harmony, peace and success.
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Trump Greets Xi Jinping With a 21-Gun Salute and a Bomber Flyover and Toasts Their "Truly Great Friendship" — the Same Week Senators Are Briefed That China Helped Iran Target U.S. Troops, Thom Tillis Calls It "a WTF Moment" and Lisa Murkowski Says It Was "a Little Bit Over the Top"
September 25, 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, for his first visit to the United States in more than a decade. President Trump gave him a full state welcome: a 21-gun salute, a military flyover and an arrival ceremony at the White House on September 24, followed by a state dinner attended by tech executives. At the arrival ceremony Trump said the two men had "forged a friendship, a truly great friendship." The welcome drew open criticism from Senate Republicans. Earlier in September it was reported that Iran had used Chinese satellite imagery to target U.S. troops in Jordan, and on Thursday Republican senators got a closed-door national security briefing on deepening military cooperation between China and Iran. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CBS News the red carpet was "a WTF moment" and contrasted it with how Trump has treated democratic allies. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called the military honors "a little bit over the top," and John Cornyn of Texas said China, Russia, Iran and North Korea were "pretty clearly" an axis. Several Republicans said they hoped Trump would raise China's help to Iran with Xi. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker said before the visit that he would have advised against the invitation (see the Taiwan arms-sale story). The summit itself produced little. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a two-month extension of the U.S.-China trade truce as Xi landed. Two pandas are going to the Atlanta zoo, and work continues on a U.S.-China "Board of Trade" for non-sensitive goods. There was no public movement on Taiwan arms sales, on China's support for Iran, or on AI.
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11 Statements
“I think there's value in being able to talk with your adversaries. … Our two countries, the biggest economies in the world, have a symbiotic relationship.
“It's a WTF moment. … It's not that Xi Jinping is coming here to learn how to become a democratic, capitalist nation. Xi Jinping is trying to understand how his opposition will ultimately embrace their worldview. … If we want to build a relationship, a productive relationship with Xi Jinping and China, we also have to hold him accountable for things that are just simply unacceptable. … I just don't know what has changed. Whatever has changed had to have been at a confidential level, because I haven't seen any public basis for the sea change that we see right now in our posture towards China.
“I just left a classified briefing on the defense budget leaving me shocked and deeply alarmed. … President Trump should be saying to Xi, 'Stop it, knock it off.'
“Personally, I felt that the 21-cannon volley and the red carpet was a little bit over the top.
“[Cornyn said he was not happy to see Trump lavish Xi with honors, given U.S.-China tensions over Iran, Taiwan and AI, and said it was] pretty clear [that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have formed an] axis.
“I would certainly hope [Trump] would bring that up [with Xi — China's military assistance to Iran].
“President Xi is one of the best liars I've ever seen. He learned to lie before he learned to talk. I don't believe the president will fall for it. … China if you turn the other cheek they'd stab you in the neck.
“I look at this relationship as really too big to fail. … It's very important to see both President Trump and President Xi Jinping working in a constructive manner. … I think it'll be seen in China as respect. That's a very important term as we think about this relationship.
“If we want to bring this war to an end, we need to cut off the outside support that allows Iran to keep fighting and that starts with China. … [Trump should press Xi to] stop Chinese companies from giving Iran satellite imagery and targeting support.
“Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party. … Again, I would not have scheduled such a thing.