The rumor spread widely following the White House reception hosted by Donald Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan.
WASHINGTON, DC: In the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic visit to Washington for a White House summit, social media users began sharing a fabricated story alleging that Donald Trump repeatedly addressed the Chinese leader as “President Eleven.” The post quickly gained traction, drawing amusement online and prompting requests for verification.
Claim: Donald Trump referred to Xi Jinping as ‘President Eleven’
According to the viral social media post, Trump mistakenly called Xi by the numerical translation of his surname.
“I’ve only ever seen it written down. Nobody around me has ever said his name out loud. You’d think someone in my administration would’ve mentioned I’d been saying it wrong by now. Damn cowards,” the fake quote attributed to Trump reads.
“Everyone knows me. I try to maintain good relationships with my peers. That’s why it’s really embarrassing when stuff like this happens between fellow leaders. Next you’ll be telling me I’ve been pronouncing President Macron wrong,” the post continued.
While the post accumulated tens of thousands of views and confused several users who took it literally, others immediately recognized it as a joke, triggering a closer look at the rumor’s origins.
Fact Check: The rumor is entirely fabricated
In reality, the claim holds no truth. There is zero evidence or footage showing Trump referring to the Chinese president as “President Eleven.”
Comprehensive video footage and official coverage of the White House summit show no instances of Trump mispronouncing or altering Xi’s name.
An exchange of this nature by a high-profile political figure would naturally command widespread media attention, yet major news outlets have published no such reports.
The rumor traces back to a Facebook page named ‘NewsThump,’ which transparently labels its content as satire and parody.
Background on the White House Summit
The satirical post emerged shortly after Trump officially welcomed President Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan to the White House. During the visit, Trump highlighted his ongoing diplomatic relationship with the Chinese leader, while Xi emphasized that both nations stand to lose in the event of a direct conflict.
“আমরা have spent time together all over the world, from Germany to Argentina, Japan to South Korea and Beijing to Palm Beach, Florida,” Trump remarked during the event.
Reflecting on Xi’s previous Washington visit in September 2015, Trump added, “A lot has changed since he was last here.”