Stories

Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Sep 24, 2026

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"

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.

“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.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 24, 2026

Two Weeks Before Xi Comes to Washington, Trump Calls a Senator's Warning About Chinese Cars "a Total Phony Rumor" — Then Says in the Same Interview That "If China Wanted to Come In and Open a Plant to Build Their Cars Here, I'd Be OK With That"

On September 9, 2026, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) posted that she was hearing "rumors that Trump is planning to allow Chinese cars to be sold in the U.S., as part of a larger deal he's putting together," calling it "a strategic mistake." She cited no source and paired the warning with a push for the Connected Vehicle Security Act, her bipartisan bill with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) that would bar Chinese-linked connected vehicles, software and hardware from the U.S. market. A House version is led by Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the Select Committee on China, and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and the Senate Commerce Committee passed the bill in July. Asked about it on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" on September 11, President Trump said "I hate this rumor. It's a total phony rumor," pointing to his tariffs on Chinese cars. But in the same interview he said "If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I'd be OK with that," comparing it to Japanese automakers: "The big thing is they hire our people." He said he did not want Chinese companies building cars in Mexico and shipping them north. The remarks came as Trump prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in the United States, a meeting expected around September 24, and a week after the Alliance for Automotive Innovation — representing Ford, GM, Toyota, Stellantis, Honda and nearly every other major automaker — asked Congress to pass a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles by the end of December. A Biden-era Commerce Department rule already effectively bars Chinese automakers from selling or building connected passenger vehicles in the U.S.

“I hate this rumor. It's a total phony rumor. I'm the one that has a 150 percent tariff on any car from China. … If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I'd be OK with that. … Japan does it, but they hire our people. The big thing is they hire our people.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 11, 2026