Trump grimaced during an air show while meeting with Xi Jinping
U.S. President Donald Trump found himself in an awkward moment during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. When two B-1 Lancer strategic bombers flew overhead at low altitude, Trump flinched, squinted, and grimaced. A video of the moment quickly went viral on social media.
The amusing moment took place on September 23 at Andrews Air Force Base in the U.S. A ceremonial welcome was being held there for Xi Jinping, who had arrived in the United States for a three-day visit. During the ceremony, two B-1 Lancer strategic bombers flew at low altitude over the American and Chinese leaders. The powerful roar of the engines took Trump by surprise.
The video shows the U.S. president flinching, squinting, and changing his facial expression for a few seconds. Xi Jinping, meanwhile, remained standing calmly. A video of the moment was posted on social media platform X, where it quickly went viral. Users began actively discussing the U.S. president’s reaction and comparing it to Xi’s behavior.
Some commenters took the situation with a sense of humor. “Trump, this is your air show. How can you be scared?” wrote one user. Another user noted that the airshow was supposedly meant to demonstrate U.S. military strength, but Trump’s reaction became a source of jokes. At the same time, this was merely the reaction of social media users, not an official assessment of the event.
Separately, attention was drawn online to the fact that Trump was wearing gloves during his meeting with Xi Jinping. Journalist Aaron Rupar noted that the temperature at the air base was around 18 degrees Celsius at the time of the ceremony. “The temperature at the air base is currently around 18 degrees Celsius, yet Trump is wearing gloves as he greets the Chinese leader,” Rupar wrote.
Another user also pointed out the gloves and asked: “Why is Trump wearing gloves when it’s 18 degrees outside? Is he hiding something on his hands?” There is no evidence in the cited materials to suggest that Trump was wearing gloves due to health issues or hand injuries. Therefore, the speculations of social media users remain merely their own theories.
The bomber flyover itself was part of a ceremonial event at Andrews Air Force Base, where the Chinese leader was welcomed. Trump’s reaction to the incident became a separate topic of discussion on social media.
U.S. companies increased their orders for Chinese goods ahead of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington. This was reported by CNBC Top News, citing a private survey by China Beige Book conducted among 1,296 Chinese companies between September 1 and 22.
