Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) condemned President Trump's enthusiastic welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "WTF moment" in an interview with CBS News. Tillis, who has decided not to seek reelection, questioned why Xi received a warmer reception than some U.S. allies.
The senator expressed concern over a trend of the president spending more time with despots and less time with democratic leaders. Tillis argued that Xi is not visiting to adopt democratic or capitalist values, but rather to understand how domestic opposition might eventually embrace the Chinese worldview.
Tillis described the shift in Trump's posture toward China as a "sea change" after years of pledging a hard line against Beijing. He called the timing of the visit "bad," pointing to Beijing's record on human rights, its intelligence gathering, and reports that it has accessed American voter records. The president has separately claimed that China meddled in the 2020 election. Tillis stated that building a productive relationship with China requires holding Xi accountable for unacceptable actions.
The summit featured other politically charged moments, including Trump showing Xi the "Presidential Walk of Fame." This display included the autopen image shown in place of former President Biden's portrait. The visit also occurred amid Trump's ongoing disputes with the media, during which he claimed China's state media was friendlier than the American press.