During Xi Jinping’s state visit, Trump touted White House ballroom construction, saying it was ahead of schedule: the north section was structurally built, with glass next. He said he wished the ballroom were ready for Thursday’s state dinner.
Xi’s visit comes as the midterm elections approach and the Iran war remains unresolved. Republican candidates are worried the lavish dinner could be a bad look as they tell voters they have answers to rising prices. Sen. Roger Wicker, the Senate Armed Services Committee chair, said he would have advised Trump not to invite Xi, citing what he called troubling issues with the Chinese president and the Chinese Communist Party.
