Trump Mocks Biden for Xi, Raising Questions About His Praise of Autocrats

President Donald Trump showed Chinese President Xi Jinping a portrait of former President Joe Biden represented by an autopen during a White House tour, mocking Biden while hosting the foreign leader. The video was shared on the White House’s official X account Thursday. Trump has a pattern of warm relations with authoritarian leaders like Xi, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un while disparaging domestic political opponents. Experts say this behavior is unprecedented and counterproductive, with some suggesting Trump admires leaders who govern without democratic constraints and uses flattery to advance negotiations. The incident occurred the same week the Trump administration aired an ad vowing America will never be communist, a contradiction experts note given Trump’s praise of Xi. Analysts also view Trump’s mockery as signaling to foreign leaders that he prioritizes personal relationships over past U.S. leadership.