WATCH:
Trump in 2011: The president of China came a few months ago and we gave him a state dinner. Now, when people are screwing you, you don’t give them state dinners. https://t.co/OeSqupmgws
— FactPost (@factpostnews) September 25, 2026
This video flashes back to Donald Trump in 2011 delivering a blunt warning about America’s relationship with China, arguing that U.S. leaders shouldn’t be honoring Beijing with lavish state dinners while China was benefiting from an enormous trade imbalance. Fast-forward to Trump’s presidency, and the clip highlights the dramatic change in U.S.-China trade, with America’s goods trade deficit with China falling significantly compared with earlier levels. It’s a striking before-and-after look at how Trump’s tough talk on China years before entering the White House eventually became a major part of his trade agenda.