Fact Check: Did Trump refer to Xi Jinping as 'President Eleven' during his Washington visit?

WASHINGTON, DC: Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States for a summit at the White House, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to President Xi as ‘President Eleven.’ The claim has sparked mockery from online users, with many calling for a fact-check.

Claim: Donald Trump referred to Xi Jinping as 'President Eleven'

According to a viral Facebook post, Trump mistakenly referred to President Xi as ‘President Eleven.’

“I’ve only ever seen it written down. Nobody around me has ever said his name out loud. You’d think someone in my administration would’ve mentioned I’d been saying it wrong by now. Damn cowards," Trump allegedly said.

“Everyone knows me. I try to maintain good relationships with my peers. That’s why it’s really embarrassing when stuff like this happens between fellow leaders. Next you’ll be telling me I’ve been pronouncing President Macron wrong,” Trump said, according to the post.

The post has garnered tens of thousands of views as of this writing, with comments indicating that many believe the claim to be true, while a few others dismissed it as fake, prompting a verification of the rumor.

Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such remark

The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence of Trump referring to the Chinese leader as President Eleven.

A look at recent reports and videos of the White House summit, featuring the two leaders, includes nothing indicating that Trump mispronounced Xi’s name.

If Trump had really referred to President Xi as Eleven, it would not go unreported by credible news media outlets, but a search on Google for the claim yielded no relevant news reports.

Additionally, the claim originated from a Facebook account called ‘NewsThump,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘satire or parody.’

Donald Trump welcomes Xi Jinping to the White House

The claim surfaced after Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan were welcomed by Trump at the White House on Thursday, where the president praised his friendship with the communist leader, while Xi warned that both countries would lose in a conflict. 

“We have spent time together all over the world, from Germany to Argentina, Japan to South Korea and Beijing to Palm Beach, Florida,” Trump said. 

Referring to Xi’s previous visit to Washington in September 2015, Trump said, “A lot has changed since he was last here.”