President Donald Trump winced during a military flyover as he greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening, marking a rare moment of visible discomfort during a carefully choreographed arrival ceremony.
The visit is a three-day state trip that includes a military review, a state dinner, and multiple meetings and sit-downs. Trump rolled out the red carpet for Xi as he got off the plane, though the rollout was briefly delayed as workers smoothed the carpet out while Chinese officials watched from the plane.
Xi and his wife, Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan, were welcomed to Washington for the visit. A ceremony took place at the Air Force base after the rollout.
Rollout Delay Details
The rollout began smoothly enough. Trump stood waiting on the tarmac as the plane carrying Xi touched down. The red carpet unfurled behind him, ready for the Chinese president to step onto American soil.
Then the delay happened. Workers rushed to smooth out a crease in the carpet, their hands moving quickly as Chinese officials watched from the plane. The delay lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to interrupt the ceremony’s flow.
Trump waited patiently through it all. When the carpet was finally ready, Xi stepped off the plane and walked toward the waiting president.
The delay was a small note of improvisation. Workers had to stop, adjust, and restart in front of foreign dignitaries. It was a small moment, but it showed that even carefully planned ceremonies can stumble.
Trump handled the delay with grace. He waited, smiled, and kept the ceremony moving forward.
The Wince Over the Flyover
The wince came later, during the military flyover. Trump stood at attention as aircraft roared past overhead.
At one point, he flinched. His face tightened, and for a split second his expression betrayed the noise and the spectacle around him. The moment was brief, but it was unmistakable.
“Trump winces during military flyover at Xi arrival ceremony.”
The moment was reported widely.
What the Ceremony Included
The arrival ceremony was designed to signal respect and hospitality. Trump chose Joint Base Andrews as the landing spot, a decision that places the visit in a military setting from the start.
The flyover was a standard element of the welcome. Aircraft passed overhead.
After the rollout and the flyover, the ceremony moved indoors.
The Three-Day Schedule
The visit runs across three days:
| Day | Event |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews |
| Day 1 | Military review |
| Day 1 | State dinner |
| Day 2 | Meetings and sit-downs |
| Day 3 | Final meetings and departure |
The military review on Wednesday sets the tone for the rest of the trip.
The Rollout’s Symbolic Weight
The rollout itself carried weight beyond the carpet smoothing. By rolling out the red carpet, Trump signaled that Xi’s visit mattered.
The delay added a note of improvisation. Workers had to stop, adjust, and restart in front of foreign dignitaries. It was a small moment, but it showed that even carefully planned ceremonies can stumble.
Trump handled the delay with grace. He waited, smiled, and kept the ceremony moving forward.
Reading the Wince
The wince raised questions about what Trump actually thought of the welcome. Was it the noise that bothered him? Or the spectacle? Or perhaps the reminder of the military apparatus he now commands?
There is no official readout of the wince. Trump did not explain it afterward, and his team did not address it publicly.
The visit comes at a tense moment in US-China relations. Trade disputes, technology disagreements, and diplomatic friction have defined the relationship in recent years.
A state visit is a chance to reset the narrative. The rollout, the flyover, and the wince all became part of that story, whether anyone intended them to or not.
The Visit’s Broader Context
The military review on Wednesday set the stage for the rest of the trip. It was a reminder of the power dynamics at play, and it framed how the rest of the visit would unfold.
What the Paper Makes of It
The wince was a moment of humanization. It showed Trump as a leader who reacts instinctively, even in public.
It also showed that these ceremonies are not always seamless. Behind the polished veneer of diplomacy, there are delays, adjustments, and moments of visible discomfort.
The visit continues. The military review has passed, the state dinner is scheduled, and the meetings are lined up. Whether the wince becomes a footnote or a lasting memory depends on what happens next.
For now, the image of Trump wincing under the roar of aircraft remains fixed in the record of this particular day.
See the a run of 14 images at the Washington Examiner.
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