‘What In the World’: Trump Flies Across the World to Intimidate Xi but His Ridiculous Alpha Strut Gets Torn Apart as Horrified Fans Beg Him to Stop
President Donald Trump has built a reputation for using his body to exert dominance over his friends and foes.
The 79-year-old commander in chief traveled to China on May 13 for an official state visit.
His grand welcome was deemed less than stellar after reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the chance to greet Trump at the airport.
Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and other administration officials.
Xi, 72, greeted Trump later at China’s Great Hall of the People. The two heads of state shook hands and stood shoulder-to-shoulder for photographers to snap pictures.
Trump and Xi also walked over red carpets outside the Beijing building.
It was located west of Tiananmen Square as live music played and young children looked on.
The eyes of the world were glued on the summit, watching to see how Trump’s interaction with Xi would play out.
Would the president employ his power play handshake tactic of trying to exercise physical control as he has done with other world leaders?
Video from the Great Hall meet-up garnered split opinions when people noticed Trump walking alongside Xi, and then stopping mid-stride.
“What the hell just happened while Trump was walking with Xi in China?” one X user asked.
Many ripped into Trump’s so-called “alpha strut,” noticing the way he stood hunched over at one point.
Trump paused on the carpet, turned toward a woman, likely a translator, who was running in their direction.
The unidentified woman immediately halted in her tracks and began backing up.
Trump then tapped Xi on the shoulder as the two had an inaudible conversation before continuing their walk.
“What in the world did he say to the woman to make her step back? Something rude I’m sure,” a Trump critic wrote.
Another expressed, “He treats the translator rudely, and walks ahead of Xi that he has to stop Trump.”
In contrast, a Trump fan claimed, “Those children sure have stamina. Also, remember when Trump walked ahead of [Queen Elizabeth II]? I expected Trump to walk ahead of Xi like he owns China. Well, that did not happen. Trump was dignified, respectful, and courteous.”
“Watching President Trump walk around that square like he owned it while Xi waddled behind him like a duck was awesome! And our cabinets’ game faces!” exclaimed another person.
“He cut him off! He walked to the right, took over the red carpet, and forced him to stop walking. Stay in your lane, taco,” a like-minded Threads commenter declared.
“Taco” refers to the acronym for the belittling “Trump Always Chickens Out” nickname.
However, someone tried to sum up the moment. They posted, “He ran off his interpreter. He’s forcing Xi to speak English. He’s trying to dominate, but he’s old, decaying, foul-smelling, and weak. Xi will know, now, just how weak and temporary Trump is.”
In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump was accused of embarrassing America on the world stage when he cut off England’s Queen Elizabeth II as she escorted him to inspect the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace in London.
During a more recent international trip to the United Kingdom, Trump made headlines for what many followers of the British royal family considered breaking protocol.
Footage of Trump blatantly walking ahead of the late Queen Elizabeth’s son, King Charles III, in September 2025 sparked outrage around the globe, though fact checkers dispute whether the president actually broke tradition in the Queen Elizabeth or King Charles situations.
Despite the debate over Trump’s alleged breach of etiquette, the conversation around how he treats his fellow global VIPs has remained a hot-button issue.
Queen Camilla, King Charles III’s second wife, experienced Trump’s self-centered approach to engaging with other people in Washington a few weeks ago.
In a viral April 2026-dated clip, Trump flagrantly stepped in front of the queen as they both shook hands with numerous guests lined up on the White House’s South Lawn, igniting an online firestorm.
With over two more years left in his second term as president, Trump will have more encounters with leaders from other nations, and, going by his history, his apparent need to establish authority will continue to be on full display.