Trump Hosts Xi Jinping Amid White House Press Standoff

President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a high-profile state visit to Washington, D.C., on September 24 and 25, 2026. The summit included a greeting at Joint Base Andrews featuring B-1 bomber flyovers and a state dinner at the White House attended by technology leaders such as Elon Musk and Tim Cook. During the dinner, Trump departed from his remarks to invite the Chinese delegation to view the construction of a new $400 million White House ballroom, a project previously challenged by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The diplomatic event was overshadowed by a legal battle over press access. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to restore credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, ruling that the ban lacked due process. Despite the order, CNN and MS NOW reported that editorial staff were still denied entry to the state dinner arrivals. In solidarity with CNN, other major networks including Fox News, CBS, and NBC suspended collective television pool duties, resulting in a video blackout of the arrival ceremony and early speeches.

Trump criticized the networks on social media, claiming they refused to cover the "magnificent" event to avoid giving him credit. The networks countered that they were blocked from attending. The television pool resumed operations on Friday, September 25, providing coverage of the two leaders' visit to the National Archives. Throughout the visit, President Xi emphasized the need to nurture Sino-US friendship, suggesting that the goals of the two nations could be mutually reinforcing.