Updated

President Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state dinner and White House meeting on September 24, 2026, that included unusual moments such as Trump showing Xi the White House helipad and praising granite. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison attended the dinner even as CNN and MS NOW reporters were barred from covering the event, despite a judge's order that their press credentials be restored. Late-night hosts including Jimmy Kimmel mocked the meeting and the panda-diplomacy overtones, while the press-access dispute drew scrutiny given Ellison's pending control over CNN's parent company.