BAD LOOK

Trump’s Fawning Welcome for Xi Rocked by Damning Revelation

The president is already under fire for hosting the communist leader while painting Democrats as left-wing extremists.

Donald Trump has been ambushed by new evidence showing the scale of China’s support for Iran on the day he rolled out the red carpet for the nation’s president.

Trump, 80, personally met Xi Jinping, 73, on the runway at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, in a gesture of presidential courtesy seldom shown to other leaders.

His administration has even more pageantry planned for Thursday, with almost 500 service members participating in a full military welcome ahead of a spectacular state dinner.

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But the Wall Street Journal published an explosive exposé on the same day about how much assistance Xi’s government is providing to Tehran during Trump’s war with Iran.

Trump said the conflict, which has proven deeply unpopular with voters ahead of the Nov. 3 race for control of the House and Senate, would last a “few weeks.” It is now approaching its seventh month with no end in sight.

The journal reported that about 1,300 Chinese deliveries containing goods that could serve either commercial or defense purposes reached the Iranian Defense Ministry during the first half of this year.

Those deliveries included chemicals used to produce ballistic missiles and a shipment of electronics that could be used in either drones or missile systems, the latter of which arrived on the same day this summer that Beijing publicly promoted its efforts to calm the conflict.

China’s support has also gone beyond potential weapons components, with Chinese companies, intermediaries, and financial institutions purchasing and moving vast quantities of Iranian crude oil despite American sanctions, generating billions in revenue for Tehran.

U.S. intelligence officials have also concluded that Chinese satellite images were used by Iran for a July 17 attack that killed three American service members. Beijing has rejected that account, saying it opposes “attempts to smear China by associating it with the conflict” and that its dealings with Iran comply with international rules.

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Despite its support for Tehran, Trump has prioritized maintaining ties with China. Officials in his administration have repeatedly minimized Beijing’s help for Iran ahead of Xi’s visit, with the president himself telling reporters earlier this month: “I think he’s behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well.”

Revelations of the extent of China’s support for Iran add to an already severe headache for the GOP ahead of the midterms—and not just because a meager 34 percent of voters back his war with the Iranian regime.

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Republicans have spent months trying to portray Democrats as dangerous left-wing extremists. That message will only become harder to push after the president spent two days this week putting out the best White House silverware for the most powerful communist leader on the planet.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment on this story.

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