President Donald Trump could not say with certainty whether Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon—the primary justification Trump has cited for launching military action against Iran. Trump made these remarks during an interview with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity, which aired Thursday night, immediately following his meetings with Xi in Beijing.
Trump on Xi's Stance
During the conversation, the President described the meeting as warm and referred to Xi as a friend. However, when pressed by Hannity on whether the Chinese leader concurred that Iran should be prevented from acquiring nuclear capabilities, Trump acknowledged Xi's reticence. 'He's a pretty cool guy,' Trump said. 'He's not going to say, "that's a good point."' When Hannity asked if Trump believed Xi agreed with him, Trump responded, 'I think he did.'
Domestic Political Jabs Abroad
Despite the tradition of presidents refraining from domestic political attacks while overseas, Trump used the interview to criticize former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He also revealed a new nickname for the Democratic Party. 'I came up with a new name,' Trump said, initially hesitating before sharing it. 'Dumacrats,' he declared. 'Because they're dumb, they're dumb. It's d-u-m. I got rid of the B. So, you're only changing one letter, right? E goes and the U comes.'
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. President Donald Trump sat down with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity after his meetings Thursday in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
