CNN panelist Leigh McGowan, also known as "PoliticsGirl," has criticized former President Donald Trump for his welcoming approach to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a recent state dinner at the White House, highlighting what she described as a glaring hypocrisy.
During an appearance on CNN NewsNight With Abby Phillip, McGowan pointed to the frequent anti-communist rhetoric from the Republican Party and Trump himself. "What I hear from the Republican Party... all the time is the horrors of communism, that the Democrats are communists and communists are ruining America and communism is the biggest threat America has to face," she stated.
McGowan contrasted this with the treatment Xi received. "And then I watch the red carpet be rolled out for the biggest communist dictator in the world, who is currently funding the destruction of our own bases in an active war zone," she added, referencing reports that China has aided Iran in targeting U.S. service members.
Trump, who has consistently used "communist" as a political insult and vowed the U.S. would "never be a communist country," hosted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for a state dinner on Thursday. The event was attended by numerous politicians and tech industry leaders.
McGowan also noted Trump's past criticism of former President Barack Obama's state dinners with Xi, contrasting it with Trump's own description of the visit as "tremendous." She further commented on Trump's "White House show-and-tell with Xi," characterizing the interaction as "buddy-buddy."
The panelist also critiqued conservative media figures and Republican lawmakers who attended the event, suggesting a disconnect between their public statements on communism and their participation in the state dinner. McGowan's remarks came before China announced it had agreed to initiate dialogue with the U.S. on artificial intelligence.