Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson said President Donald Trump's effort to control press access during Chinese leader Xi Jinping's state visit backfired on him in the most personal way possible.
Speaking on a CNN panel Friday, Carlson dismissed the visit as a publicity exercise that left Trump without the cameras he craves.
"Look, this was a vanity project for Trump. And so the whole media ban did backfire because we saw his lips moving and no sound coming out, which must be his greatest nightmare that he thinks about going to bed at night," Carlson said.
The White House kept CNN, MS NOW and Politico off the grounds Thursday morning despite a judge's order restoring their access. The rest of the TV press pool responded by refusing to broadcast Trump live, The New Republic reported, which left Chinese state media among the few outlets with video of Xi's arrival.
Senate Republicans dodged questions about whether the president must obey the court's order, and MS NOW's Jen Psaki pointed out the irony of shutting out American reporters while honoring the leader of a country with a dismal press freedom record.
Carlson argued that state dinners are supposed to serve a purpose, especially weeks before the midterms. She said Americans got nothing on the economy, inflation, tariffs or the Iran war, and were left wondering what the visit was for.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump White House communications director, agreed that the ban had backfired, noting that Trump cares deeply about press coverage. She said many Republicans disliked the pageantry of the visit and noted that China is likely aiding Iran against the United States. Recent U.S. intelligence assessments described to CNN echoed that fear.
Farah Griffin also said the summit appeared to produce no deliverables. The U.S. released a one-sentence readout, she said, and it came hours after China's.
U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said Beijing assured Washington it was not helping Iran. Xi, meanwhile, used the visit to deliver a pointed warning about the U.S.-China rivalry.
Trump, speaking Friday, insisted the meeting had been great for everyone, including farmers.