Trump’s visit to China off to bad start with a snub from Jinping but MAGA is trying to spin it as another win

When Donald Trump stepped off of Air Force One earlier today in China he was not met by the Chinese president. The subtle diss from Xi Jinping almost certainly would have rubbed the U.S. president the wrong way, but Trump’s MAGA mouthpieces are already hard at work trying to put a positive spin on the whole thing.

Footage of Trump arriving in China has been shared online and it shows that Trump was not welcomed to the country by its leader. Instead the U.S. president was met by Han Zheng, the Chinese vice president, along with the U.S. ambassador to China, China’s ambassador to Washington, and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Everyone but Xi Jinping it would seem.

While Trump’s people may not be treating it like a big deal it holds more weight than you might think. What’s most important is that it’s rather embarrassing for Trump as Jinping’s absence during his arrival serves as a reminder that Trump isn’t really as important or globally respected as he thinks he is. 

“The welcome he deserves.” wrote one account on X, adding, “I mean he doesn’t care about Our financial wellbeing so he really does not represent we the people!” This is, of course, in reference to comments made by Trump this week in which he admitted that he does not think about the financial situation of Americans.

MAGA is trying to put a positive spin on the Trump snub

While the rest of the world points and laughs, the dwindling few who still cheer for Trump are reaching critical levels of cope. Some chose to focus on the red carpet that had been rolled out for the president claiming “This is what TRUMP RESPECT looks like!”

Others claim that it’s not normal for a leader to meet another leader at the airport upon their arrival, but let’s not forget how Trump made the effort to fly out and meet Vladimir Putin at the airport personally while American soldiers kneeled before the war criminal. And all that was for someone Trump later claimed meant nothing to him. 

So yes, Xi Jinping not being there to greet Donald Trump as he arrived was a snub and we can hardly blame him. Very few world leaders seem to actually respect the U.S. president and it shows. This is just the start of what will no doubt be a tense and awkward visit for Donald as he’s already alienated China and, more recently, humiliated himself on the world stage in Iran. Xi Jinping will no doubt humble the president over the next few days.