Trump takes swipe at Biden during White House walk with Xi Jinping, Chinese President laughs at joke | VIDEO

US President Donald Trump shared a lighthearted moment with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a tour of the White House, using the occasion to take a fresh swipe at his predecessor Joe Biden. As Trump showed Xi portraits and displays honouring past US presidents, he pointed towards Biden’s image and made an “autopen” remark which prompted laughter from the Chinese leader.

Trump points to Biden portrait during White House tour

A video shared by the White House on social media showed Trump accompanying Xi along the White House colonnade on Thursday before the two leaders stopped at the “Presidential Walk of Fame”. The display features portraits and plaques honouring US presidents. While pointing towards Biden’s photograph, Trump said, “This is the autopen … it’s Biden,” turning the former president into the subject of a joke about his use of the autopen. Xi was seen laughing at the remark, while members of the delegation accompanying the two leaders also appeared amused. Trump then gave Xi a friendly pat on the shoulder before the two continued walking through the display.

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What was behind Trump’s autopen remark?

Although portions of Trump’s comments in the video were difficult to hear, his reference appeared to target Biden’s use of an autopen, a device that reproduces a person’s signature. Trump has repeatedly criticised Biden over the use of the device during his presidency. Trump has also continued to attack Biden politically since returning to the White House. He has repeatedly disputed the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election, in which Biden defeated him, and has continued to promote claims that the election was affected by voter fraud. The moment with Xi therefore stood out because the political jibe came during a high-profile diplomatic engagement involving the leaders of the world’s two largest economies.

Trump hosts Xi and Peng Liyuan for White House state dinner

The lighter exchange came on the same day that Trump hosted Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan for a state dinner at the White House. During the dinner, Trump spoke about the relationship between the United States and China, saying that ties between the two countries had strengthened despite differences in their political systems. He acknowledged that the two nations have significant differences but stressed the importance of maintaining strong bilateral relations. The remarks came during Xi’s high-profile visit to Washington, where the two sides were engaged in discussions focused on the broader US-China relationship.

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