As Donald Trump gears up for a momentous second inauguration as United States President, individuals from all walks of life, allies and adversaries alike, jockey for places in the front row. Recall in 2017 when about 55 Democrats turned their backs on the ceremony, pledging not to observe even the live stream. A stark contrast is expected next year when, with suspense-filled lungs, the globe watches on as Trump graces the White House for a second, monumental term. Five weeks out, the energetic septuagenarian is considering who to include in his guest list. News from press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms that China’s president Xi Jinping has been officially extended an invite. Alongside Jinping on the rumor mill of prospective attendees is Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Trump, always an aficionado of grandeur performance, signals his intent to transform U.S.-China relations by extending an invitation to President Xi. Given Trump’s electoral campaign filled with veiled threats of imposing enormous tariffs on the Asian giant, it’s understandable that President Xi, aged 71, is reported to have declined the invite. In his initial tenure, Trump made strides in strengthening ties with Beijing, only for the bond to sour with the onset of an economically crippling trade war, and later the attribution of the coronavirus pandemic origins to China.
The Xi invite provides an engaging view into Trump’s approach to what is sure to be one of his critical foreign policy tests in the coming term. Speculation runs rife on the guest list for the upcoming star-powered inauguration. Notable names that stand to grace the event would be celebrity pals of Trump, such as Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, and Sylvester Stallone. Observers keenly anticipate what the presence or absence of such figures might hint on how Trump would steer the ship in his second, and presumable final, federal stint.
In the time since his victorious re-election, Trump has chosen the comforting solitude of his southern Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, where he has held communications with a plethora of global leaders. Among them are Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, both engrossed in tumultuous wars which Trump vowed to conclude promptly. Another of the notable leaders is Narendra Modi, the chief executive of India, arguably one of the world’s rapidly growing superpowers.
In a previous disclosure, Leavitt stated that President Xi was considered for the inauguration invitation because Trump had a vision to ‘initiate conversations’ with foes. She asserted: ‘Leaders from around the world are queuing up to confer with President Trump, recognizing he will soon resume power and re-establish tranquillity globally by channeling American might.’ The approach towards China was hailed by the Chinese embassy in Washington as a ‘welcoming gesture.’
This approach might kindle a ‘favorable beginning’ of U.S.-China relations at the inception of Trump’s second term. Such an invitation was a historic measure as President Xi would have been the inaugural world leader to attend an inauguration ceremony. Although Trump has proposed extensive tariffs on Chinese goods, this peace offering could be viewed as a strategic intrigue from the incoming president.
Appearing recently at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the traditional bell, Trump disclosed his contemplation about ‘inviting certain people to the inauguration.’ This potential engagement of the Italian head is largely seen as a means to mend U.S.-EU ties. The illustrious guests perfectly fit the rhetoric of the incoming president’s promise of a ‘celebration of the American People and our nation.’
It is worth mentioning that the glamour-ridden celebrities do not hold the capacity to broker the deals Trump pledges, nor do they have the answers to some of the biggest foreign policy queries of our era. The resolution of these matters will be subject to the dynamics that emerge from the prime selection of world leaders graced with an invitation to a U.S. Presidential inauguration.