Trump mocks Biden's portrait during Xi visit, draws bipartisan criticism

President Donald Trump has been branded ‘un-American’ for mocking former President Joe Biden during a state visit by Chinese officials.

The controversial moment, which has even been labeled as “utterly disgusting,” unfolded Thursday, as Trump showed Chinese President Xi Jinping around the White House on the second day of the historic three-day visit.

The pair were walking in the White House colonnade when Trump stopped Xi at the Presidential Walk of Fame - a row of portraits commemorating those who have served as commander-in-chief. It was one of many additions Trump has made to the White House since he returned to office.

Biden is the only president whose portrait is not shown among those of other commanders-in-chief, which were installed as part of Trump’s extensive renovations to the White House. Instead, an autopen takes his place in a reference to Trump’s claim that his predecessor’s administration heavily relied on the machine - a claim Biden denies.

“Let's be very clear on this one point,” former Democratic Rep. John Delaney wrote on X. “The President mocking a former President in front of the communist leader of China is the most un-American thing an American president has ever done.”

During the moment, Trump showed Xi both portraits from his stints in the White House.

“Trump, and then Trump,” the current president said to the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, waving to portraits from his first and second administrations.

“And, this is the autopen,” Trump continued, waving to Biden’s portrait as Xi burst out into laughter.

“It’s Biden,” Trump added, explaining the joke and tapping Xi on the arm.

The now-viral moment has drawn widespread condemnation on social media.

Gerard Butler, the editor-at-large at The Wall Street Journal, was more blunt in his response to Trump’s joke.

“Just utterly disgusting,” he said.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a political commentator and star of The View, similarly criticized the commander-in-chief.

“An American President mocking another American President to the communist leader of China is … gross and unAmerican, (sic)” she noted.

Even a former White House aide from Trump’s first presidency, Sarah Matthews, blasted the president over the remark.

“Nothing says ‘America First’ like mocking a former American president in front of a communist dictator,” she wrote. “Trump may think he’s humiliating Biden, but all he’s doing is humiliating the United States.”

The White House uploaded a video of the viral moment to social media, captioning the clip with a laughing emoji.

Others found the president’s joke funny, with New York Post columnist Miranda Devine responding to the White House’s post with her own laughing emoji.

Political commentator Nick Sortor was more gushing in his response.

“President Trump and Xi Jinping laughing together over the Biden autopen portrait has to be the HIGHLIGHT of the day so far,” he said.

Xi’s visit to the United States ends Friday, after kicking off Wednesday when Trump personally greeted him at Joint Base Andrews - an honor not given to a secular foreign leader at the base since 1962.

The Chinese president also attended a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, where he sat at a table with his U.S. counterpart, First Lady Melania Trump, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook, among other guests.