Donald Trump traveled to Joint Base Andrews to personally welcome the leader of China to the United States.
Posted by The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 95%
The Briefing with Jen PsakiSep 24, 2026
Multiple tier1 and unrated sources (Reuters, BBC, AP, Xinhua, ABC, France24) confirm Trump greeted Xi Jinping personally at Joint Base Andrews on September 23, 2026 during his state visit. The post's 'first in recent history' framing is not part of the extracted claim, and the claim's core act of traveling there to personally welcome Xi is well corroborated.
What was said
… his favorite authoritarian leaders, and absolutely no one watched, and amazingly, that isn't the only way his ban on media companies is backfiring right now. Jay Carney served as White House press secretary for President Barack Obama, and he joins me next. Tonight, Donald Trump became the first American president in recent history to travel to Joint Base Andrews for the purpose of wait for it, everyone personally welcoming the leader of China to the United States. In fact, Trump not only greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife on the tarmac, he also had members of the United States Army roll out a literal 100 foot long red carpet. …
The Briefing with Jen Psaki · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Reuters reports Trump greeted Xi personally at Joint Base Andrews after his arrival, and that the welcome marked the first time in 11 years a US president greeted a foreign leader at the base.[1]
Supports. BBC and France24 report Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife at Joint Base Andrews in a rare airport welcome on Wednesday evening.[4][5]
Supports. AP and the White House pre-visit release state Trump would greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.[2][3]
Supports. SBS reports Trump departed the White House by Marine One and waited at the base for Xi's aircraft, which landed at 5:39 p.m.[6]
Context. The post's claim of a 'first American president in recent history' to do this is echoed by Reuters' 'first time in 11 years' framing, so the uniqueness is partly corroborated; the 'red carpet' and 'personally welcoming' details also match the reporting.[1][7]
Sources
7 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 primary, 1 tier 1, 3 not rated
- 1US says China trade truce extended as Trump welcomes Xireuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Photos of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3First Lady Melania Trump Releases Details Ahead of His ...whitehouse.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Trump offers warm welcome as China's Xi arrives for US visit - BBCbbc.co.uk · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 5Trump gives Xi rare airport welcome as Chinese leader ...france24.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Trump Waits at Airport for an Hour, Extends 'Imperial' Protocol ...news.sbs.co.kr · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Trump rolls out the red carpet for China's Xi - ABC Newswww-cdn.abcnews.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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