The Trump administration has been sounding the alarm over China from both cybersecurity and economic standpoints, but that doesn’t mean that POTUS won’t light up over what he considers to be a great idea. This would refer to last week’s decision from Chinese President Xi Jinping to abolish presidential term limits in his country, therefore setting the stage for a potential lifelong term and consolidating his power.
CNN reports that they’ve obtained a recording of closed-door remarks from Trump this weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate while hosting Republican donors. He cracked some jokes while also complaining about the lack of investigations about Hillary Clinton and a “rigged system.” At some point, Xi Jinping’s power grab became a subject of conversation, and Trump gave his thoughts:
“He’s now president for life. President for life. No, he’s great,” Trump said. “And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot some day.”
The remarks, delivered inside the ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago estate during a lunch and fundraiser, were upbeat, lengthy, and peppered with jokes and laughter. But Trump’s words reflected his deeply felt resentment that his actions during the 2016 campaign remain under scrutiny while those of his former rival, Hillary Clinton, do not.
Trump also apparently gushed about Xi being a “great gentleman” and “most powerful [Chinese] president in a hundred years.” This praise arrives after his administration came down hard on China (while ignoring Russia) during recent foreign policy declarations specific to trade. And Chinese security recently got tackled over the nuclear football by a U.S. Secret Service Agent. Trump’s kind words regarding Xi and term limits — whether they were a joke or not — are mostly proof that all of the executive branch wheels aren’t turning together.
(Via CNN)