Online Rumor: Trump Threw Away All Chinese Gifts Upon Leaving Beijing
After U.S. President Trump concluded his visit to China, photos circulating on social media showed Chinese gifts being discarded in an airport trash can. Many related posts and media reports cited a tweet from a White House correspondent accompanying the delegation. German media outlet DW contacted this journalist to verify the truth.
Tweets claiming “such exquisite, commemorative gifts were thrown away as trash,” YouTube videos titled “China’s Gifts, All Thrown Into American Trash Cans!?”, and heated discussions on Threads—over recent days, content alleging that the U.S. delegation discarded Chinese gifts has flooded major social media platforms. Accompanied by phrases like “proof with pictures,” “diplomatic shock moment,” and “no trust whatsoever,” these posts have spread widely, with some receiving millions of views and tens of thousands of likes.
DW Fact Check Result: The relevant images were AI-generated; there is no evidence indicating that the U.S. side threw all Chinese gifts into the airport trash.
Visual Details Full of Inconsistencies
By comparing the alleged image with authentic photos of Air Force One, it's evident that the number and positioning of windows in the circulated photo clearly deviate from reality, and the lines along the aircraft’s upper surface are significantly distorted. Most notably, there is no American national emblem visible on the aircraft door—something that should be present. Additionally, the hand of a staff member appears twisted and unnatural.
Furthermore, DW conducted reverse image searches and found that no reputable news outlet has used this image, nor has anyone claimed to be its actual photographer.
Source of the Claims
Among the numerous social media users spreading the above content, many cited Emily Goodin, a White House reporter for the conservative mainstream newspaper *The New York Post*.
Goodin posted on X on Friday, May 15: “U.S. staff collected everything distributed by Chinese officials—credentials, disposable phones issued by the White House, delegation badges—all gathered before we boarded Air Force One and dumped into the trash bin at the bottom of the airstair. Nothing originating from China was allowed onto the plane. We’re about to take off back to the U.S.”
This statement caused a major stir on X and was cited by multiple media outlets. DW directly questioned her regarding the core issue: “Is it truly forbidden to carry any items from China onto the plane, including gifts?”
In her reply to DW on May 16, Goodin clarified: “This measure appears to be specifically targeted at electronic devices and official documents.” She then added: “I’m not sure about the status of state gifts. I’ve already asked the White House, but they haven’t responded yet.”
Thus, the source herself did not witness any Chinese gifts being discarded. Currently, there is no publicly available information or tangible evidence to substantiate this claim.
Source: DW
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865497336697929/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.