Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife were greeted with fanfare and a screaming flyover that visibly shook President Donald Trump.
Rows of US soldiers stood at attention as F-35 fighter jets and Air Force One loomed behind them at Joint Base Andrews (JBA), home of the president’s fleet, to welcome Xi and his wife, Madame Peng.
A military band played as US officials rushed to roll a red carpet up to the Chinese president’s massive Air China jumbo jet.
The last time it was done was in 2015, when Barack Obama greeted Pope Francis at JBA, according to C-SPAN.
Trump, ironically, criticized Obama for showering Xi with a ‘full honors ceremony with music and cannons’ during a visit in 2012. ‘So wrong,’ the then-reality star chided on X.
On the tarmac at the Air Force base, a flyover roared overhead to mark the Chinese president’s arrival. Trump notably winced and cracked a brief smile at the thunderous roar while Xi remained stone-faced.
The ceremony mirrored the welcome Trump received on his trip to Beijing in May, which also had a lavish carpet and troops standing at attention.
The presidential limo, known as the Beast, pulled up with the president and First Lady who then met Xi and his wife at the plane, where the pair exchanged remarks for several minutes.
Though given the wind and the roaring engines, and the lack of media, it was impossible to determine what the two world leaders said upon Xi’s touchdown.
Trump and Melania’s warm welcome marks the first time a US president has met a world leader at an airport in over 11 years.
This year’s grandeur has jilted some Republicans who have been critical of Xi, notably one Trump ally who slammed the president for hosting a ‘lavish’ trip for a ‘dictator.’
