Newsweek is reporting that President Donald Trump physically and visibly recoiled as two B-1 Lancer bombers roared overhead during a flyover at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. It said the flyover was intended to honor the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and perhaps to intimidate him.
Newsweek said Xi did not flinch, following the aircraft with what it described as bored eyes and a neutral expression. It said the Chinese president's unreadable demeanor is a deliberate feature of Beijing's approach to diplomacy, giving nothing away. Newsweek reported that Trump remarked to Xi, "That was really loud," and that Xi did not reply.
Newsweek said the aircraft are formidable machines, but noted they are also surprisingly old for how they look and sound. It said the Air Force's F-16s average nearly 34 years, its B-1Bs 37 years, its B-2s nearly 29 years and its F-22s 19 years. Newsweek added that Xi has some younger aircraft models to work with.
In a separate item, Newsweek said that thousands of miles apart, two straits are becoming entangled by things both China and the United States want right now, describing the Trump-Xi summit as a tale of two straits.
Newsweek also published a piece addressing how parents should talk to children frightened about the prospect of World War III, and an opinion column arguing that resistance to Christian nationalism could help decide the midterm elections. It said backlash to Trump's appeals to Christian nationalism may be spurred by the rising prominence of progressive religious voices.