Chinese President Xi Jinping has joined Donald Trump’s list of admired strongmen. The MAGA madman known for boasting about his relationships with powerful foreign leaders sent people on a witch hunt after making a wild claim about Xi. While he has repeatedly criticized China’s trade prac tices and military ambitions, his comments about Xi often sound more personal than political. Trump’s lavish praise of Xi Jinping during an Axios interview reignited debate over his admiration for authoritarian leaders and sparked a wave of online backlash. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images) That fascination surfaced during Trump’s recent appearance on “The Axios Show.” When reporter Marc Caputo asked which world leaders he admired, Trump skipped America’s longtime allies and launched into a story about Xi. “We have a very good relationship,” Trump claimed in the June 20 interview. He then recalled asking Xi to stay out of the recent conflict involving Iran and credited the Chinese leader for complying. ‘Wow’: Trump Skips a Handshake Rematch With a World Leader He Lost to — But Tries His Luck With the Man’s Wife, and Cameras Catch His Brutal Defeat‘He’s Literally the Older Brother’: Trump Attempts to Size Up a Leader Smaller Than Him, But It Falls Apart Once Viewers Catch the One Detail He Overlooked “I get along with him well,” the U.S. President continued. He then praised Xi as “a strong man” who plays “no games.” Trump said Xi doesn’t waste time on small talk because “it’s like all business, which I like. I think it’s great.” The compliments kept coming. He went on to praise China’s competitiveness before insisting America still leads in artificial intelligence. Then he veered into a spill about Xi’s appearance that blurred the lines between a compliment and sarcasm. Trump describes his fondness for Chinese leader Xi Jinping on The Axios Show:"He's tall, he's 6-foot-2. He's got a great stature, he's got great confidence, and he's smart." pic.twitter.com/cboVsOY15z— Axios (@axios) June 20, 2026 “The look of Xi. He’s got a great look,” Trump said. “He’s tall. He’s 6-foot-2. He’s got great stature. He’s got great confidence. And he’s smart.” Internet users picked up on it quickly. But they couldn’t pinpoint an exact reason why. One person wrote, “OMG…Trump is drooling over Xi again!” Another commented, “Out of mind … There’s a serious problem with his cognition.” A third post read, “For a man who seems obsessed with people’s appearances, he sure is a fat slob.” Someone else called it the “Ramblings of a crazy man,” while some believe Trump exposed his true feelings about Xi. “My read..Trump is Intimidated by Xi,” one person suggested. Another X user joked about Trump adding to the Chinese president’s 5 foot 11 stature, “He’s added three inches to both of their heights.” The admiration, though, has not been one-sided. Xi is 5'11 at bestYou be the judge why trump wants him to be 6'2 pic.twitter.com/G3ZIkAMBK5— Dev (@BigTechnoFuture) June 21, 2026 Xi has spoken warmly about Trump at key diplomatic moments. During Trump’s first state visit to Beijing in 2017, the Tsinghua University graduate called him a “good friend” and arranged an unprecedented “state visit-plus” that included a private tour of the Forbidden City. After Trump’s 2024 election win, Xi congratulated him and called for the two countries to have a stable relationship built on mutual respect. During Trump’s 2026 visit, the Beijing native declared that achieving “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” and “making America great again” could “go hand in hand.” Foreign policy experts say that warmth is calculated. Former National Security Council China director Liza Tobin said, according to PBS, “I think the two leaders have personal chemistry, but we’re going to have to see really much more than just a high-level visit to really unlock some of the distrust that’s been building over a long period in this relationship.” Another columnist, Orville Schell, came to a similar conclusion. “Beijing excels at showering dignitaries with a level of pageantry and pomp that would make criticizing one’s hosts seem uncouth in the extreme,” Schell wrote. His follow-up landed harder: “It’s America’s misfortune that its people elected a leader so susceptible to flattery.” Trump’s recent Beijing visit produced its own string of viral moments. Cameras caught his handshake with Xi inside the Great Hall of the People before both leaders walked side by side across a red carpet. Body-language observers debated whether Trump’s usual dominance tactics were neutralized by Xi’s composure. Others zeroed in on Trump’s brief pause mid-walk, which some online had already dubbed his “alpha walk.” What the hell just happened while Trump was walking with Xi in China? pic.twitter.com/krpHet7w5w— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) May 14, 2026 During his trip, Xi allegedly told the POTUS that he could not say anything negative about their meetings. So, when speaking with the press, Trump did not answer directly a question about Taiwan, which has been a source of friction between the United States and the People’s Republic of China since 1949. Instead, he called China a “great place” and moved on. Social media users also noticed what appeared to be a slight height difference in their chairs, with some claiming Xi’s seat looked higher. No evidence supports that the arrangement was intentional. Still, the discussion landed alongside Trump’s bizarre obsession with other people’s looks. ‘Trump Is Intimidated’: Trump’s Odd Praise of Xi Jinping as a ‘Strong Man’ Has Critics Convinced the Chinese Leader Left a Mark He Still Can’t Shake ...read more read less