Trump Teases Biden in Front of Xi Jinping During White House Visit
During a White House visit, former U.S. President Donald Trump playfully taunted current President Joe Biden by showing a photo of an autopen (an automatic signing device) instead of Biden’s picture, eliciting open laughter from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The video released by the White House shows Trump leading Xi along the ‘Presidential Walk of Fame,’ where the spot associated with Biden was replaced with an image of the autopen. Despite ongoing tensions between Trump and Xi over technology and rare minerals, leaders from both countries are making efforts to improve relations.
October 10, Kathmandu: Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is on a state visit to the United States, openly laughed during his White House tour. Upon arrival, Trump joked by pointing to a photo of an autopen placed where Biden’s official picture would normally hang, causing Xi to break into laughter. This warm and viral moment between the Chinese leader and the former U.S. president has attracted significant attention, marking a rare friendly interaction after more than a decade since a Chinese leader last visited the U.S. on a state visit.
The video shared on social media by the White House shows Trump walking Xi through the modern White House colonnade toward the ‘Presidential Walk of Fame,’ which displays portraits and memorabilia of former U.S. presidents. There, Trump showed the autopen’s photo where Biden’s portrait would traditionally be displayed, saying, “This is an autopen… this is Biden.” Xi Jinping responded with loud laughter, joined by other members of his delegation.
Trump has repeatedly accused President Biden of relying on an autopen for signing government documents during his term. As a result, since September 2025, the White House’s ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ has exhibited the autopen image instead of Biden’s portrait. This informal yet humorous gesture has been well received despite ongoing bilateral tensions regarding technology and rare mineral exports.
Earlier, during a formal welcome ceremony on Wednesday, when the U.S. national anthem was playing and a U.S. military ship produced a loud noise, Trump was visibly surprised, whereas Xi remained composed. However, on Thursday, Xi openly reacted with laughter to Trump’s autopen joke. Afterward, Trump placed a friendly hand on Xi’s shoulder. In another video, Trump showed a photo of his 2017 meeting with Xi in Beijing, jokingly asking, “Who is this? I didn’t recognize him.” Xi responded with a light chuckle.
U.S.-China relations have deteriorated to one of the lowest points in history during Biden’s presidency. Accusations surrounding the origin of COVID-19, former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit in 2022, and the 2023 ‘spy balloon’ incident have severely strained diplomatic ties. Since Biden took office, he has met Xi only three times at multilateral summits, with no state visits occurring during his term. Xi’s previous visit to the U.S. was at the APEC summit in San Francisco in November 2023, with the last state visit taking place in September 2015.
Despite bilateral tensions and rivalry, efforts are underway during the current visit to improve relations and reach agreements between the two countries’ senior leaders. During a state dinner at the White House, Trump asserted that although the political systems differ, the relationship between the U.S. and China is strengthening.