As the U.S. war against Iran continues to push fuel costs to record-high levels, President Donald Trump is expected to host Chinese President Xi Jinping this week at the White House for a lavish dinner — and the president’s “dissonance” amid soaring prices “is driving White House allies and Republican strategists mad,” Politico reported Tuesday.
“I don’t think people really want to see you toasting the Chinese premier,” said a Republican White House insider, speaking with Politico on the condition of anonymity. “You’re hosting this glamorous state dinner at a time when people are like, ‘Are you focused on me?’”
Since Trump launched his deeply unpopular war against Iran in late February, global oil prices have skyrocketed, with diesel fuel costs in the United States perpetually breaking records, sitting at an all-time high of $6.53 per gallon as of Tuesday. Regular gasoline costs an average of $4.48 per gallon as of Tuesday, and costs for other goods like ground beef and juice have also risen significantly.
Trump’s planned dinner with Xi also undercut one of Republicans’ primary midterm messages, GOP strategist Barrett Marson argued — that the elections were a referendum on communism.
“It’s just another in a string of examples where Trump’s message and Republicans’ don’t jibe,” Marson told Politico.
Xi leads the Communist Party of China as its general secretary, with the CPC being the single-largest communist party on earth with more than 100 million members. And yet, Trump has leaned heavily into rhetoric condemning socialism and communism this election cycle, warning of a “resurgence of the communist menace in our land” back in July.
Trump’s Monday meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a self-described democratic socialist — also rubbed Marson the wrong way.
“The in-your-face arguments from Republicans this election cycle is that Democrats want to bring socialism or communism to America,” Marson said. “Trump warmly embracing two of the most outspoken leaders of those ideologies makes it that much harder for the message to resonate with voters.”
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