By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-29 00:16:37 | Updated at 2026-09-29 03:08:45
5 hours ago
President Donald Trump directly contradicted his Ambassador to China, David Perdue, after he claimed the president discussed weapons sales with President Xi Jinping.
Perdue told Fox News in an interview Sunday that Trump asked Jinping if he would like to buy American weapons during the state visit. Perdue couched the stunning claim by saying the weapons sales to China would be one of many transactions the United States has with foreign countries. (RELATED: As Trump Meets Xi, Experts Say China Targets Weak Spots In Western Tech)
“President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world,’” Perdue said. “He actually asked President Xi if he would like to buy some at one point.”
China is widely recognized by officials of both parties to be a possible American adversary in the Pacific.
The State Department distanced itself from Perdue’s recounting, simply stating that “U.S. law prohibits arms sales to China and there is no offer or plan to sell arms to China.”
When Trump was asked about the interaction on Monday, he appeared surprised and directly refuted Perdue’s anecdote. (RELATED: INGERSOLL: Putin, Trump, Xi, And WWIII. What’s The Upside?)
“To China? You mean to Taiwan?” Trump asked when learning about the reporting.
“I never heard of that one. I’m going to have to ask him,” Trump said of Perdue’s remarks. “Now, they’d probably like to buy it because we do make better equipment than them, so maybe it’s a good idea. But we didn’t discuss it.”
