AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives
An Associated Press photographer detailed the moments leading up to a photo of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the National Archives.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives
Photograph: The Independent (US) (embedded from source)
What this story says
- AP photographer Julia Demaree Nikhinson took a photo of Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Xi Jinping, and Peng Liyuan at the National Archives Museum.
- The photograph was taken on 29 July 2026, the last day of Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington.
- The subjects were viewing the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights when the photo was captured.
- Nikhinson used a 70-200mm lens on a Sony Alpha 1 camera and transmitted images live to her editor, Paula Munoz.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
65/100
Hype
15/100
12 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 1 of the 12 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Associated Press photographer Julia Demaree Nikhinson described the circumstances surrounding a photograph she took of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, accompanied by their wives Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, at the National Archives Museum. The image was captured on 29 July 2026, the final day of Xi's state visit to Washington. The group was viewing the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights at the time.
Nikhinson, who has been an AP staff photographer for two and a half years and is based in Washington, detailed the process in a piece published by The Washington Post. She explained that hours of preparation led to approximately 11 minutes of photography. Nikhinson positioned herself on a riser across from the museum at 6:30 a.m. The motorcades of Trump and Xi arrived at 11:49 a.m. The leaders and their wives exited their vehicles at 11:50 a.m., and Nikhinson took the photograph at 11:51 a.m. They entered the museum at 11:55 a.m. and emerged at 12:03 p.m., with their motorcades departing by 12:08 p.m.
For the photograph, Nikhinson used a 70-200mm lens on a Sony Alpha 1 camera. She transmitted the images live to her editor, Paula Munoz, resulting in the photo appearing on the AP wire shortly after. Nikhinson stated the photo works due to the red carpet on the museum steps and the interaction between the couples, with the Trumps appearing to adjust themselves while Xi and Peng watched.
Coverage comparison
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the specific time the leaders entered and exited the museum, details provided in the full report by Washington Top News and The Independent (US).
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 5 Oct 2026, 20:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
5 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports from The Independent (US), The Seattle Times, The Independent (UK), and Beckley Register-Herald all published digests of the AP photographer's account. These digests focused on the photographer's description of the event, including the timing, the equipment used, and her explanation of why the photo was effective. The Independent (US) and The Independent (UK) used the same headline as other outlets, highlighting the photographer's framing of the shot.
Centre
6 rated outlets
- The centre-rated outlets led on the AP photographer Julia Demaree Nikhinson and her account of taking a photograph of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the National Archives. The Washington Top News report included Nikhinson’s explanation of why she took the photo and how she made it.
- These reports detailed the 11 minutes of photography that followed hours of preparation. They noted the arrival of the motorcades at 11:49 a.m. and the photo being taken at 11:51 a.m. The leaders entered the museum at 11:55 a.m. and left at 12:03 p.m.
- The Washington Top News report stated the photo worked because of the red carpet and the interaction between the couples. It described the Trumps as primping themselves while Xi and Peng watched.
Right
1 rated outlet
- The right-rated report from MY Northwest published a digest of the AP photographer's account. This digest included the photographer's explanation of why she shot the photo and the timing of the event, noting that it occurred on the last day of Xi Jinping's state visit.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives?
- Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 42% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 8% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 42% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 8% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives biased?
- AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives is one event reported by 12 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered AP photographer captures Trump and Xi at National Archives?
- 12 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Who took the photo of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the National Archives?
- The photograph was taken by Julia Demaree Nikhinson, a staff photographer for The Associated Press. She has been with the AP for two and a half years and is based in Washington.
- When was the photo of Trump and Xi taken?
- The photo was taken on 29 July 2026, which was the last day of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington. The specific moment captured was at 11:51 a.m.
- What were Donald Trump and Xi Jinping doing when the photo was taken?
- They were viewing the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights at the National Archives Museum. The photographer described them pausing for a photo opportunity on the museum steps.
Read it at the source
12 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
5- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens Enid News & Eagle in a new tab)
Enid News & Eagle — is Enid News & Eagle biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens Beckley Register-Herald in a new tab)
Beckley Register-Herald — is Beckley Register-Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
6- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens My Mother Lode in a new tab)
My Mother Lode — is My Mother Lode biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens Hometown News LP in a new tab)
Hometown News LP — is Hometown News LP biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens The Herald Journal in a new tab)
The Herald Journal — is The Herald Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens union-bulletin.com in a new tab)
union-bulletin.com — is union-bulletin.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 11 minutes on the steps: How an AP photographer framed Trump and Xi’s red-carpet shot (opens The Daily Advance in a new tab)
The Daily Advance — is The Daily Advance biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
1Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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