U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not pictured) at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 29, 2025. REUTERS Kevin Lamarque
Ex-diplomat Brett Bruen clearly hit the White House where it hurts after posting on X that Trump was unprepared for his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Not a single China expert. POTUS would normally have at least one NSC/State official to provide briefings,” posted Bruen on Tuesday. “Underlines how utterly unprepared he is for meetings with Xi.”
White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung apparently felt the sting of Bruen’s damage, however, posting on X soon after with an insult-laden rant filled with name-calling.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about you slope-brained, mouth breathing moron,” Cheung said. “Stop calling yourself an expert in anything, aside from sucking. Anyone that hires you (not many!) should get an immediate refund and payment for wasting their time.”
Bruen had cited an earlier post from News Nation White Correspondent Libby Dean, who posted a list of people joining Trump for his Tuesday meeting with the Chinese leader to discuss the mess Trump created with his attack on Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
That list includes President Trump, Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Secretary Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Stephen Miller and Cheung, himself, among others. None of these, said Bruen, were experts on China.
“Trump will arrive on Wednesday with many in China wondering how he got bogged down by a far lesser power in a war he started. Iran’s nuclear stockpile is exactly where it was, still under the rubble of an American bombing raid last June,” the Times reports. “The Strait of Hormuz, through which China gets more than 30 percent of its oil and a bit less of its natural gas, remains closed, with no obvious plan to pry it open again.
The Times reports that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said two weeks ago, that Trump is “humiliated” by a smaller power, having entered the conflict “with no truly convincing strategy.”
Brett Bruen served as the White House Director of Global Engagement during the Obama administration and has worked as a senior diplomat in multiple capacities throughout his career. His expertise in international relations and diplomacy has made him a frequent commentator on foreign policy matters.
Bruen has been critical of the Trump administration's approach to diplomatic engagements, particularly regarding preparation and staffing decisions. His posts on social media have gained significant attention within political circles and among foreign policy observers. The exchange between Bruen and Cheung reflects broader tensions within the administration over its handling of key international negotiations and the adequacy of expert consultation in high-stakes diplomatic meetings.