US3 min(s) read
Published 12:54 14 May 2026 GMT
US President Donald Trump was seen drinking out of a champagne glass during his State visit to China, despite his claim that he has never drunk alcohol in his life.
The shocking video has circulated online following Trump's summit in Beijing alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
While several body language experts have analyzed and unpicked every interaction shared between the world leaders, something else caught the attention of viewers.
Trump and Xi met earlier today (May 14), with the former enjoying an imperial welcome, before getting down to business and addressing numerous topics such as trade, Taiwan, and the Middle East.
Aside from their conversations, handshakes, and the praise that Trump showed for his Chinese counterpart, chaos also broke out among members of the media before talks began.
The foul-mouthed exchange shocked viewers, who were left with their jaws on the floor later on as Trump seemingly had a sip of alcohol, despite swearing it off.
Experts claimed that the relationship between the leaders was positive, despite some assertive behaviors from both parties; everything seemed to be mutual.
The respect seemed to continue, as following a toast in Mandarin, Trump could be seen standing on stage and listening intently.
As it concluded, he could be seen taking a champagne glass from a waiter's platter, raising it in honor of the Chinese leader following the historic summit, and taking a gulp of the liquid.
After this gulp, he placed the glass back on the platter and stood on stage a bit longer to applaud the crowd, who clapped him back.
It has previously been reported that Trump didn't drink because his older brother died as a result of a drinking problem.
The President seemingly went out of his way then to show respect for Xi by breaking his strict rule.
While we are not 100 percent certain about the liquid that was in the glass, its appearance in the context of the evening may suggest the possibility of alcohol.
Trump claims he's never drunk in his life, which comes due to the death of his brother Fred, who died from alcoholism in 1981, at the age of 42.
The BBC reports that former bartenders from 1990 New York, where Trump has lived for decades, say that he would often be served champagne, and even vodka, claiming he "nursed" drinks on nights out.
But those close to the President, including the man who introduced him to his wife Melania, remains adamant that he never drank and stuck to his favorite, Diet Coke.
Speaking to Fox News in 2016, Trump claimed that he has "never had a drink," unlike many Presidents before him.
George W Bush went teetotal after giving up drink on his 40th birthday, but Trump claims to have been sober his whole life - marking a first for US leaders.
He opened up on the death of his brother, saying: "It was a very tough period of time," adding that the incident meant that he would never drink.
"If you don't start you're never going have a problem. If you do start you might have a problem. And it's a tough problem to stop," the President told the news outlet.
His view of one drink spiralling into addiction was interesting, though he claimed he enforces these beliefs on his children.
He would forbid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, adding: "I've been very tough on my children with respect to drink."
