‘That’s a little risky’: Trump invites a controversial world leader to his inauguration
Donald Trump has invited China’s Xi Jinping to his inauguration next month. This is a bold diplomatic move, considering he is currently threatening to impose tariffs on Beijing.
Trump has met Xi before, having invited him to Mar-a-Lago during his first term as president in 2017. His attempted friendship and admiration for the controversial leader have sparked mixed reactions. Trump and his followers believe his friendship with Xi can help the United States and China alleviate tension and avoid challenges. However, others are concerned with Trump’s fascination with dictators like Xi and believe he could risk the nation’s safety and security by allowing rivals and adversaries to get so close to him. Undeterred by concerns, Trump has consistently pursued a “bromance” with Xi, including praising the dictator for getting rid of fair elections and openly stating, “I want China to do great, I do. I like President Xi [Jinping] a lot. He was a very good friend of mine during my term.”
Interestingly, Trump seemingly wants to continue his friendship with Xi even as he threatens massive tariffs on the country. He has proposed placing an extra 10% tariff on China until the country stops the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. The plan would spark high trade tensions, with Xi warning the United States not to start a trade war. Despite the tension over the tariffs, Trump has invited Xi to his inauguration.
Donald Trump invites Xi Jinping to his inauguration
Trump confirmed that he invited Xi to his inauguration, extending the invitation shortly after winning the 2024 election. It is unclear if China’s president will make an appearance, but the olive branch has been extended. Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated of the invite:
This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors too. We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone and he will always put America’s interest first.
Meanwhile, on December 11, during the New York Stock Exchange, Trump suggested that further controversial figures could make an appearance. Although he didn’t give names, he teased he was “thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration.” He confirmed that the choices were a bit risky, stating, “And some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it?’ And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’ But we like to take little chances.”
While ambassadors and diplomats are occasionally invited to inaugurations, foreign leaders attending such ceremonies are exceedingly rare. Naturally, Trump’s decision to invite a controversial leader to his transfer of power has raised eyebrows. Even as his spokesperson claims he’s trying to instigate peace and open dialogue, many feel trying to have a dictator as a guest of honor at a U.S. presidential inauguration is taking things too far. On X, many users questioned if his next move would be to invite Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong Un, giving his tease of “risky” guests.
Trump’s friendly invite to Xi is especially strange, considering he seems pretty intent on alienating America’s allies, including imposing outrageous tariffs on Mexico and Canada and joking about making Canada part of America. If Trump’s goal is to foster diplomatic relationships and peace, cozying up to dictators while insulting America and its allies is a weird way to go about it.
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