The good thing about the State Visit of Xi Jingping in Washington is that it is mercifully short and probably Xi and his wife are more grateful than anybody for that small mercy. So far it’s been a bit of a farce, with Melania dressing like a Shakespearean page for the State Dinner, while Madam Xi has kept to traditional dress and a low profile. But then it got stranger still.
Unusual moment: Xi Jinping put his hand out. Melania Trump didn’t take it.
She stepped back instead.
No smile. No recovery handshake. She just declined.
The whole room saw it. pic.twitter.com/DSxBTIx3W0
— MAGA Nation â„¢ (@MAGANationn) September 26, 2026
As we have said many times here, the Trumps and protocol are not a good blend. Not a natural blend, certainly, because the Trumps don’t want to take the time to do things the traditional way, they’d rather wing it and set tongues to wagging.
Maybe Melania figured she had already shaken Xi’s hand. Or maybe she charges per handshake and needed another progress payment before proceeding with anymore. It’s difficult to tell with this crew.
Considering where Melania’s hands have been, I bet Xi was pleased she shunned his offer of a shake.