Trump sparks massive backlash over his gift to Xi he and Melania helped design

Trump sparks massive backlash over his gift to Xi he and Melania helped design Trump gifted Chinese President Xi Jinping a statue of a bald eagle during last night's lavish White House state dinner, saying it represented America's 'free and soaring spirit' Donald Trump has sparked fury online after handing Chinese President Xi Jinping a statue of a bald eagle - with critics questioning the gesture towards the communist leader. The US president presented the sculpture, which he and first lady Melania helped design, at a lavish White House state dinner on Thursday night, saying it represented America's "free and soaring spirit". He said it came from an "extraordinary American artist" but did not reveal the name of the creator. Xi arrived empty-handed so had no gift to give in return. "It's my honour to present President Xi with a gift made by an extraordinary American artist, one of the greatest in the world, and designed in personal collaboration with Melania and myself," Trump said. "The bald eagle is a national symbol of the United States and an embodiment of the free and soaring spirit of America," he added. "And we hope it will find a nice place, a wonderful place in Beijing. It's your honour." The gift quickly drew criticism on social media, with some users pointing to Trump's previous attacks on communism. "So no more claiming to be against Communism?" one user fumed, pointing to the president's past comments, reports the Irish Star. Another user shared footage from July showing Trump denouncing communism. "Also, Trump," they wrote alongside the clip. "Thinks a Bald Eagle will keep Xi in good graces," another person wrote. In June, Trump described communism as "this horrible threat of cancer that's permeating our country" as he spoke to an audience at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference in Washington. On Sunday, the White House said in a post on X that "communism directly opposes the United States Constitution and American values." "While every Democrat voted against the largest tax cuts in American history and over 100 refuse to condemn socialism, President Trump will ensure that communism never has a place in America," it added. The dinner came at the end of the second day of Xi's three-day state visit. Protesters opposing Xi's visit drowned out the official band with chants. President Xi and his wife, Madame Peng, were arriving for the dinner when the demonstrators made themselves heard. Trump appeared to lean towards Xi and say something quietly, prompting the Chinese president to briefly chuckle. The four then posed for photos before Trump escorted Xi inside. The dinner came as both countries agreed to extend a trade deal until January 10. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the extension in an interview with Fox News, saying it would give the two sides more time to work on key issues including tariffs and trade barriers. "I don't know whether a bigger deal can be done, Bessent said. "I don't know whether we will just roll the current deal." Trade is one of several major points of tension between the US and China, alongside artificial intelligence, Trump's conflict with Iran and China's ambitions with Taiwan.