Trump References 'Sleepy Biden' in Conversation with Xi Jinping

According to The Hill, Friday (15/5/2026), the meeting took place on Thursday (14/5) evening. Trump stated that he and Xi blamed Biden.

“When President Xi very elegantly called the United States perhaps a country in decline, he was referring to the tremendous damage we have suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden’s administration and the Biden administration’s policies, and in that, he is 100% correct,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“Our country has suffered greatly with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everyone, men in women’s sports, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), bad trade deals, rampant crime, and much more!” he continued.

Trump did not mention any specific comments from Xi. However, the post came after Xi questioned whether the two countries could overcome the “Thucydides Trap” - a theory that states that when a rising power threatens to replace an established power, war can occur.

Xi also said in 2021, “The East is rising and the West is declining.”

The White House did not clarify the quotes referred to in Trump’s post.

Trump added in the post that Xi “was not referring to the tremendous rise that the United States has shown to the world during the spectacular 16 months under the Trump administration,” referring to things such as military operations in Venezuela and war with Iran. (rdp/dhn)