How Xi Jinping’s State Visit Left Trump on the Defensive, Podcast Hosts Say

Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit this week drew sharp commentary and left former President Donald Trump appearing exposed, according to hosts of The Daily Beast Podcast. Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty unpacked public and private exchanges between the two leaders and the broader strategic tensions in U.S.-China relations.

On the podcast, Dougherty said Xi invoked the so-called Thucydides Trap and accused Beijing of assisting Iran militarily and operationally. He alleged that China has supplied rocket components used in missile fuel, shared targeting coordinates with Iran, and — citing an intelligence leak reported by CNN — provided near-real-time information on ship movements in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim Dougherty said could endanger U.S. service members.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump speak during a state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, September 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY / Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS

This is a moment of strategic weakness. He has been helping Iran, providing rocket components for the chemicals that underlie rocket fuel and sharing coordinates and intelligence on where American assets are.

Dougherty underscored the awkward optics of honoring a leader whom hosts accused of actions hostile to U.S. interests, noting in frustration, and yet he got a state dinner.

At the official dinner, Mr. Trump surprised attendees by inviting Xi and his delegation to view an under-construction White House ballroom. Trump described the space as more than a reception hall, calling it an integrated military-ready complex equipped with bunkers and bomb shelters and saying the project will be completed in about a year.

US President Donald Trump shows the way to Chinese President Xi Jinping as he arrives ahead of a state visit at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY / Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS

If I could go off-script as a special treat in honor of President Xi and Madame Peng, I'd like to invite everyone in the room to visit through that beautiful curtain in the back door. It is all lit up and looks beautiful, and you will see something that I think you will really love.

Coles highlighted a diplomatic contradiction: despite reports that Trump urged Xi not to buy Iranian oil, China continues to import roughly 90 percent of Iran's oil, a reality she said undermines U.S. pressure.

The podcast also examined the fallout after the White House excluded MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from the press pool in response to coverage it disliked. In protest, five major networks paused live White House broadcasts, sharply reducing visual coverage of the state visit and contributing to moments when portions of Mr. Trump's remarks were inaudible on the official livestream because of restricted microphone access. Photographers also delayed distributing images of the 80-year-old president.

They thought they could divide and rule, but the pool remained in solidarity until CNN was restored, Dougherty said, adding that the limited coverage frustrated a president who thrives on television exposure.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to The Daily Beast by saying the television pool had access but chose not to broadcast the visit, and that other outlets stepped in to reach tens of millions of viewers despite the boycott.

Listeners can find the full discussion and source citations on The Daily Beast Podcast feed, available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.