No one saw this coming. This was the last person anyone expected the president-elect to invite to his swearing-in.
And jaws dropped to the floor when Trump announced who he was inviting to his inauguration.
It’s common for guests from all walks of life to be invited to a presidential inauguration.
Usually celebrities, musicians, and prominent politicians are at the top of the guest list for the president elect’s swearing-in ceremony.
But foreign leaders are almost never included on the guest list, until now.
Trump Extends Historic Inauguration Invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping
Donald Trump has reportedly sent an invite to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his upcoming inauguration in Washington, D.C., next month, marking what could be an unprecedented moment in U.S. political history.
The invitation was extended in early November, shortly after Trump secured his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, according to a CBS News report released Wednesday. However, it remains unclear if Xi has accepted the offer.
Efforts by the New York Post to confirm Xi’s attendance have so far yielded no response from the Chinese Embassy, and a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team neither confirmed nor denied the report.
“World leaders are lining up to meet with President Trump because they know he will soon return to power and restore peace through American strength around the globe,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team, in a statement.
If Xi decides to attend, his presence would break with more than a century of U.S. tradition. Records from the State Department, which date back to 1874, show no foreign leader has ever attended a presidential inauguration.
Trump’s invitation to Xi is not the only potential diplomatic first. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom Trump frequently referenced during his campaign and met with recently at Mar-a-Lago, is reportedly “still considering” an appearance at the January 20 ceremony.
This development comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China.
Trump has threatened to impose significant tariffs on Chinese imports and has given ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, until January 19—just a day before the inauguration—to sell the app or face a ban in the United States.
As he prepares for his second term in office, Trump has already met with several international leaders.
Recent visitors to his Palm Beach headquarters include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Orbán.
Trump also traveled to Paris last weekend, holding discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Prince William of the United Kingdom.
President Trump and Prince William seem to be having a great time together pic.twitter.com/aUv2goQhFu
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) December 7, 2024
With speculation mounting around Xi’s potential visit, the possibility of high-profile international attendees at Trump’s inauguration shows just how eager and willing world leaders are to work with the president-elect.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
