Before bidding farewell to China President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan Friday morning President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the couple for tea in the White House Red Room and then accompanied them for a tour of the founding documents of the United States at the National Archives.
The first lady and Madame Peng shared a sofa underneath a Hudson River School painting with Xi and Trump sitting in chairs on either side. Tea and small plates of treats were served on the coffee table between them.
President Trump, leaning forward in this chair, opened by thanking the couple claiming to have made “great strides” from the visit.
Xi answered in a quiet deep voice, thanking the president and his wife for the visit, noting “new substance based on facts and fairness” came out of the visit.
“I think our farmers are going to be really happy,” Trump said without elaborating.
The two leaders are expected to see one another later this year at the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation intergovernmental forum and the G20 global forum to be held in Miami, Florida.
From the White House, the group visited the National Archives where they viewed founding documents—the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The president remarked to press, saying they were comparing China’s documents to America’s founding documents.
“We’re just comparing. Ours goes 250 years. Which is great, and we’re proud of. Theirs goes 6,000 years. So there’s a little difference between 6,000 and 250. But we’re very proud of our 250,” he said.
The Weekly Wrap
The Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.
The New York Times
At State Dinner for China’s Leader, Melania Trump Wears the Pants
Sept. 24, 2026 – Well, that was a surprise. In what may have been a first for an American first lady, Melania Trump did something at the state dinner for China’s leader on Thursday night that none of her predecessors had likely done before: She wore pants. Read more
East Wing Magazine
President and First Lady Melania Trump Host Chinese President in State Visit
Sept. 24, 2026 – The State Visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan was topped off Thursday with a state dinner inside the East Room of the White House hosted by the President and First Lady Melania Trump after a day of ceremonies, talks, a separate spouses visit to the Smithsonian and tension between the administration and the press. Read more
In Pursuit
Bess Truman by Anita B. McBride
Sept. 24, 2026 – Elizabeth “Bess” Wallace Truman was the second lady for just eighty-two days when President Franklin Roosevelt died and Harry Truman was sworn in as president. Bess had no desire for her husband to become president, and she did not wish to become first lady. Most important to her was protecting her family’s privacy and the ability to retreat to their family home in Independence, Missouri, and avoid the press as much as possible. She had good reason—she was petrified that the public would find out her father had committed suicide when she was eighteen years old. Bess also knew she could never be as evocative as Eleanor Roosevelt and was concerned that the country would have to get used to a new approach after twelve years of Eleanor’s publicity and activism. Read more
The Washington Post
My Conversations with Hillary Clinton and Nobel Laureate, Maria Ressa
Sept. 24, 2026 –This week I traveled to New York to participate in conversations that touched on several of the most pressing themes in the struggle to preserve press freedom and really, the health of our democracy. Read more
East Wing Magazine
Melania Trump Shifts to Advocating for Women in the Business World
Sept. 23, 2026 – Before Melania Trump became first lady, she charted a successful modeling career. And before returning to the White House for her husband’s second term, she sold digital collectibles, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, published the self-named Melania memoir and executively produced the film Melania documenting her 20 days leading up to the second presidential inauguration of businessman-turned-politician Donald Trump that premiered last January. Read more
Fox Business
Melania Trump Details Her ‘Very Important’ letter to Putin, Imperia and Fostering the Future
Sept. 23, 2026 – First Lady Melania Trump joins ‘The Big Money Show’ to discuss her new initiative, Imperia. The forum aims to connect and empower women business leaders and CEOs. View here
USA Today
Melania Trump Welcomes Banned Media Outlets to UNGA Event, Reports Say
Sept. 23, 2026 – Melania Trump is not letting President Donald Trump’s ban on multiple media outlets impact coverage of her work. The Office of the First Lady approved CNN and Politico’s press credentials for a “Fostering the Future Together” event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 22, CNN reported. Read more
The Hill
Melania Trump Teases New Docuseries with Promise to Answer ‘Private Questions’
Sept. 23, 2026 – Melania Trump is teasing a forthcoming docuseries that she says will be “very different” from her eponymous documentary, and in which she’ll open up and answer “private” questions. Read more
The New York Times
Melania Trump’s Busy Schedule: A New Show, a Foster-Care Bill and Reading Executive Orders
Sept. 23, 2026 – In a burst of activity this week, the enigmatic first lady told Americans what she has been up to after a quiet summer. Her activities have included filming a new documentary series about her life. Read more
East Wing Magazine
Melania Trump Unveils New Tech Partnerships for Global Initiative
Sept. 22, 2026 – Seven more technology companies have committed partnerships to more than 15 countries aligned with First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future Together initiative. Read more
Food and Wine
How to Make Jackie Kennedy’s 4-Ingredient Casserole
Sept. 21, 2026 – Many outdated styles have eventually come back in vogue. Flared jeans, ‘90s slip dresses, and flip-flops from the early aughts are all trending again. But the return of vintage styles isn’t limited to accessories and clothing. Even long-lost dishes can become cool again. Read more