“The Final Grip: Trump's Pull Vs XI's Anchor,” reads the chyron as host Laura Ingraham and commentator Raymond Arroyo discussed whether or not Xi “dominated” the handshake. Arroyo praised Trump for giving Xi's hand a small “swat” with his left hand to “diminish” Xi's “dominant move at the top” as the pair engaged in what Fox also titled the “Handshake Showdown.”
Smerconish said he was sure Trump's comment would be used in plenty of Democratic midterm ads. But here's the truth: President Trump gave the only answer he could have given, Smerconish said. Yes, the economic pain is realbut the people stomping on Trump for that answer are missing the point entirely. He wasn't talking to us. He was speaking to Iran. The strongest remaining weapon in Iran's arsenal it's not their navy or missile systems it's American impatience, Smerconish continued.
Bitcoin briefly dipped to $78,611 after the deadlocked U.S.-China summit rattled investors. The flash crash triggered a market-wide liquidation, wiping out $382 million in long positions. Observers expect bitcoin to remain volatile as the tech war over AI chips continues. Bitcoin plunged below the $79,000 mark for the second time in two days as investor sentiment shifted from optimism to caution after a highly anticipated U.S.-China summit failed to deliver the outcomes markets had hoped for.
“Right now I'm just about 100 miles off the coast of mainland China,” is how Dokoupil began Wednesday night's broadcast from the balcony of a hotel in Taipei, Taiwan. Tony was being kind to himself: Taipei may be very close to mainland China itself, but it is 1,000 miles away from Beijing, where all of the important stuff was happening. The reason Dokoupil was stuck on that hotel balcony is that CBS failed to secure a visa for their man. Semafor's Max Tani reported that as a result the network had to send Dokoupil to Taipei at the last minute.
The summit seems to have fallen short of already diminished expectations. While there were optics of cooperation between Trump and Xi Jinping, concrete deals — including on Nvidia chips or tariffs — were few. Trump just said that he rejected a proposal from Xi, China's leader, to help broker a peace between the U.S. and Iran, leaving the critical Strait of Hormuz effectively shut. Ultimately, the president is coming home to rising oil prices and a slumping bond market.
By the time Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Thursday, the bilateral had featured all the expected pomp and pageantry: a meticulously choreographed display of Chinese soldiers, children waving American and Chinese flags, and rows of senior officials and the US's top business executives. Conspicuously absent at the table, however, were women from either delegation—a stark visual that quickly drew criticism from observers who saw it as an unmistakable display of patriarchal power.
