Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves
Former US president's attire at Joint Base Andrews sparked social media speculation.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves
Photograph: Atlanta Black Star (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Donald Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
- Trump wore a long overcoat and black leather gloves despite mild weather, prompting social media speculation.
- A B-1 bomber flyover occurred during the ceremony, during which Trump visibly winced while Xi remained calm.
- No right-rated outlets covered the event among the reports reviewed.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 3 of the 9 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
55/100
Hype
65/100
9 sources · methodology
Donald Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan landed on 23 September for a state visit to the US. Trump and his wife Melania were present to receive them. The weather at the time was described as mild, with temperatures around 18 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit).
Trump wore a long, dark overcoat that extended past his knees and black leather gloves. He removed one glove to shake Xi's hand. Social media users speculated about his outfit choice, with some suggesting he was hiding something, such as bruises on his hands. The White House has previously attributed bruising on Trump's hands to frequent handshaking and aspirin use.
During the ceremony, two B-1 bombers flew overhead. Reports state that Trump visibly winced at the noise, while Xi Jinping remained calm. The Chinese president arrived in a navy suit and burgundy tie without a coat. Melania Trump wore a pinstriped suit, and Peng Liyuan wore a soft grey outfit.
Disagreement on Xi's reception
Atlanta Black Star reported that Trump met Xi planeside, a gesture the AP called rare, as Trump almost never meets visiting heads of state at the airfield. Der Tagesspiegel stated that Trump and Xi exchanged a few words at the foot of the aircraft stairs. Formiche.net and Alquds.co.uk also noted that Trump went to welcome Xi on the runway.
What the coverage left out
None of the left or centre-rated reports reviewed mentioned the extension of a trade agreement between the US and China, which Der Tagesspiegel reported as a two-month extension until 10 January of an agreement set to expire on 10 November. No right-rated outlet ran this story.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 24 Sept 2026, 13:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
US-Präsident Donald Trump reagiert auf das Dröhnen der überfliegenden B-1-Bomber während der US-Nationalhymne, während er neben dem chinesischen Präsidenten Xi Jinping bei einer Begrüßungszeremonie im Vorfeld eines Staatsbesuchs auf der Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, USA, am 23. September 2026 salutiert.
Der Tagesspiegel — embedded from source
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
3 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports focused on Donald Trump's unusual attire and the speculation it generated. Atlanta Black Star highlighted social media questions such as 'What Is He Hiding?' and 'Gloves and an overcoat. For 64 degrees?'. This report also noted Trump's outfit choice in contrast to the women's attire and suggested he was trying to hide weight gain. The Independent and The Independent (US) focused on Xi Jinping's arrival, with headlines suggesting his unsteady appearance did nothing to dispel health rumours.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports also highlighted Donald Trump's choice of a winter coat and gloves for the mild weather, noting it prompted online buzz. South China Morning Post stated that Trump was the only one of the two first couples dressed this way. Hindustan Times quoted the question 'Why is Trump wearing gloves?' and mentioned social media speculation. Der Tagesspiegel reported on the speculation about bruises on Trump's hands and the 'loud flyover' that caused Trump to grimace.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 50% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 9. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves biased?
- Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves is one event reported by 9 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 outlets covered Trump greets Xi Jinping in overcoat and gloves?
- 9 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.
- Why did Donald Trump wear a coat and gloves to greet Xi Jinping?
- Donald Trump wore a long overcoat and black leather gloves while greeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews. The weather was mild, around 18 degrees Celsius. This unusual choice prompted widespread speculation on social media, with some suggesting he was trying to hide weight gain or bruises on his hands.
- What happened during the B-1 bomber flyover?
- During the arrival ceremony for Xi Jinping, two B-1 bombers flew overhead. Reports indicate that Donald Trump visibly winced at the loud noise from the aircraft. In contrast, Xi Jinping remained calm and watched the jets pass.
- Did any right-rated outlets cover Trump's greeting of Xi Jinping?
- Based on the reports reviewed, no right-rated outlets covered Donald Trump's greeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews. The coverage analysed came from left and centre-rated publications.
Read it at the source
9 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
3- ‘What Is He Hiding?’: Trump Goes Big for Xi’s Arrival, Debuting a New Look That Had Social Media Trying to Crack the Mystery (opens Atlanta Black Star in a new tab)
Atlanta Black Star — is Atlanta Black Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Xi’s unsteady arrival in Washington does nothing to dispel health rumours (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Xi’s unsteady arrival in Washington does nothing to dispel health rumours (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Centre
3- As Trump greets Xi at Joint Base Andrews, his gloves trigger online buzz (opens South China Morning Post in a new tab)
South China Morning Post — is South China Morning Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Speculation About Bruises: Trump Wears Gloves at the Reception of China's Leader – at 18 Degrees (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Der Tagesspiegel — is Der Tagesspiegel biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Why is Trump wearing gloves?’ POTUS's unusual outfit choice at Xi Jinping welcome draws attention (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
3- In Coat and Gloves at +18. Trump Worried the Network with an Unusual Look (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Xi Conquers the Scene in Washington. The New Global Game with Trump (opens Formiche.net in a new tab)
Formiche.net — is Formiche.net biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Shi Jin Ping Is in Washington, and He's Meeting Trump, and He's in a Position of Power. (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
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