U.S. President Donald Trump arrives aboard Air Force One at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
CNN reported Wednesday morning (U.S. time) that during the 20-plus-hour flight President Donald Trump took from Washington D.C. to Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, he never once spoke to the press, which is unusual.
As the president landed in China ahead of his summit with Xi Jinping, Senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes reported that a number of tech CEOs were on the plane with Trump while others took the overflow plane.
"So you see them now opening the door, John, and we'll wait and see how long President Trump takes to actually come out and greet everyone," continued Holmes. "He's been on a long flight and he didn't talk to the press at all, which is incredibly notable. A guy who loves talking to the press, particularly when he's on a 20-or-so-hour flight, he did not do that this time around."
Co-host Kate Bolduan keyed in on the comments and how unusual it was.
"That was actually going to bemy question because I was — we ofcourse, as we woke up to thenews, you know, woke up toknowing that you guys were allflying over waiting and kind ofexpecting" Trump to speak to the press, Bolduan explained.
"Are we going to getsome information or a gaggle, ifnothing else, of the president?" the host asked.
Co-host John Berman returned to the matter in a later conversation, saying that Trump allowed his final remarks about Iran and America's economic situation to marinate in the political news.
Trump on Tuesday, before departing for China, told reporters he doesn't think "even a little bit" about Americans' financial situation when executing the war in Iran.
“The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump said Tuesday.