Trump mocked as he greets Xi in winter gear during unusual airport greeting

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Donald Trump raised a few eyebrows as a somewhat surreal red-carpet ceremony was put on for Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military base in Maryland on Wednesday for Xi’s arrival.

Video caught Chinese officials looking on as U.S. Marines smoothed out a red carpet for the Chinese president, who descended the stairs and was greeted by his U.S. counterpart, clad in a long winter coat and leather gloves in the 65-degree weather.

The pair, along with their spouses, then stood beside each other awkwardly as the national anthem was played, cannons fired in a salute, and a military jet soared loudly by overhead — causing Trump to visibly wince while Xi placidly watched the plane pass overhead.

“[I]t is 64 degrees at Joint Base Andrews right now and yet Trump is wearing gloves are he greets President Xi,” wrote journalist Aaron Rupar.

“Trump -- it’s YOUR airshow. How do you get scared?” asked Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who played video of Xi’s arrival for his viewers.

The ceremony was a major departure from the typically more reserved setting in which U.S. presidents meet leaders of major U.S. geopolitical rivals, like Russia and China. But Trump has broken protocol on that front before, including when he rolled out a red carpet for Russia’s Vladimir Putin when the latter visited Alaska in 2025.

Xi’s visit comes as the U.S. and China remain at odds over a number of trade issues including AI and semiconductors, and on both topics the U.S. president has been accused by his domestic critics of being too lax with Beijing. Ahead of Wednesday’s arrival ceremony, Trump faced criticism from a Republican senator typically closely aligned with the White House over putting on a “lavish” welcome for the Chinese president.

By comparison, Joe Biden waited to greet Xi until the Chinese president arrived at the site of their summit in San Francisco in 2024. Like Trump, Biden greeted Xi with a military guard and red carpet — though not one carted out to the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.