Shit Show

Chaos erupts behind the scenes of Trump’s China trip — including trampled White House aide

By Emily Goodin

President Trump’s much-anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been marred by multiple physical altercations just offstage.

Among the incidents that took place Thursday:

The chaos was all captured by a cameraman accompanying “Rush Hour” director Brett Ratner as he prepares to shoot a fourth installment of the beloved feature film franchise.

The dust-ups with the Chinese caused frustrations to boil over on the American side, with one member of the US delegation overheard calling it a “shittshow.”

As part of an effort by Chinese officials to keep a tight hold of their American guests and dictate coverage of a global news event, US reporters have been subject to strict controls — including limited access to bathrooms and the confiscation of water bottles.

Trump impressed by grand greeting in China, tells XI the children stole the show

Chinese officials held American reporters in a side room and tried to prevent them from joining President Trump.

No other hydration was provided to the American press despite bright sunshine and temperatures topping 80 degrees in the Chinese capital.

However, that proved a minor issue compared to three major flashpoints.

The first incident came when an aggressive Chinese press pack charged into Trump’s morning bilateral meeting with Xi, knocking down and then stepping on a White House advance team member.

The aide was bruised and shaken, though not seriously injured, and the incident caused her colleagues to loudly protest the Chinese media’s behavior.

The next confrontation came in the afternoon at the Temple of Heaven, when Chinese officials refused to admit a Secret Service agent accompanying the presidential press pool into the secure area because the agent was carrying a firearm — standard practice for the protective agency.

The Chinese version of a Mexican standoff ensued, with the press pool and American delegation refusing to move forward without the agent and Beijing officials determined to take his sidearm. 

After a 30-minute delay and many arguments, another Secret Service agent who had already been cleared to proceed was summoned to escort reporters inside while the first agent stayed behind.