Staff Reports
Peter Schweizer told Laura Ingraham on Fox News that President Trump walked away from President Xi Jinping’s state visit with the “upper hand.” That claim deserves a hard look — not because Schweizer is a neutral observer, but because the facts behind his point are real enough to make any thinking person ask why the left keeps pretending Trump is “cozying up” to dictators. The summit had all the ceremony, a National Archives tour, and a traded-up handshake. But optics aren’t the whole story — leverage is.
Schweizer’s claim: “Trump has the upper hand”
On The Ingraham Angle, Government Accountability Institute president Peter Schweizer argued that Xi’s trip to Washington exposed political weak spots in Beijing and therefore strengthened America’s bargaining position. Schweizer pointed to Xi’s sweeping disciplinary moves inside the People’s Liberation Army and his removal of top military figures as evidence that Xi is consolidating control because he fears internal rivals. Schweizer used blunt language — including the phrase “upper hand” — to describe how these developments affect the summit dynamic. That’s a spicy line, but it isn’t pulled from thin air: independent analysts have documented a broad purge and reshuffle inside the PLA in recent years. What’s not settled is Schweizer’s specific counting of “disappeared” generals or an exact tally of Central Military Commission changes. Analysts agree the purge is real; they just don’t always agree on the math.
What the summit actually delivered — and why it matters
The visit was heavy on ceremony — a planeside welcome, a state dinner and a now-famous stop at the National Archives where President Trump showed President Xi the American founding documents. Officials announced an extension of a prior trade truce and polite talks on trade, AI and Taiwan. In short: diplomacy, not drama. But that’s exactly the point. Smart diplomacy adds leverage quietly. Trump didn’t need a grand bargain to score an advantage; he needed to show strength, keep channels open, and remind Xi that American resolve and values are not a tourist attraction to be ogled and sold.
Why Xi’s troubles give America leverage
China’s internal purge of senior officers and the turnover at the top of the PLA are no small matter. They signal two things: Xi is willing to ruthlessly consolidate power, and that consolidation has costs — in stability, expertise, and perhaps loyalty. Add economic headwinds and less transparent economic reporting, and Xi walks into summit rooms with fewer clear chips to trade. That weakens Beijing’s hand and, by extension, strengthens the American negotiator who knows how to use restraint and messaging to his advantage. Call it plain strategy: if your opponent looks shaky, you don’t surrender — you press where it matters.
So yes, Schweizer’s on‑air take that President Trump held the upper hand after Xi’s visit is worth taking seriously, even if you should treat his hard numbers cautiously. The left can keep shrieking “cozy with dictators” — it’s good theater for them — but real diplomacy prefers leverage to slogans. Watch how the White House turns quiet advantage into meaningful policy results, because the next moves will tell us whether that “upper hand” becomes real American wins or merely a talking point for cable TV.
