Confused Trump, 79, Needed Assistance to Walk Offstage After 'Awkward' Meeting with China's Leader
Donald Trump needed help off stage after greeting Xi Jinping.
Oct. 30 2025, Published 2:15 p.m. ET
Donald Trump's meeting with China's Xi Jinping has fueled allegations he's suffering from dementia after he looked confused and required assistance walking offstage after an awkward photo op, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Trump met with the Chinese leader during the summit in South Korea as part of his five-day Asia tour, which also included a stop in Japan.
While the president claimed his trip secured the return of "trillions" of dollars to the U.S. in trade deals, his behavior during the high-profile meetings has raised more questions about his health.
Trump Greets Xi Jinping
Trump made awkward small talk with Xi Jinping before the South Korea summit.
Prior to working out their disagreements on Trump's tariffs, the world leaders shared a brief moment outside the meeting room. The pair shook hands and posed for photos in front of a row of alternating U.S. and Chinese flags.
While the moment was meant to highlight unity and a trade truce between the countries, a seemingly disoriented Trump overshadowed any significance.
As has been the case in past diplomatic meetings, Xi looked uncomfortable as Trump maintained a tight grip on his hand while posing for photos.
Xi remained silent as Trump told reporters they had a 'great relationship.'
The two men exchanged small talk, with Trump telling Xi, "Good to meet you," and an interpreter responding, "Good to see you again."
Trump then insisted the leaders would have a "very successful meeting" even though Xi is "a very tough negotiator."
While Trump appeared to try to lighten the mood by adding, "That's not good," Xi remained silent – and continued not to react when the 79-year-old repeatedly said they had a "great relationship."
Trump appeared lost on what direction to leave the stage after greeting Xi.
After posing for photos, Trump gestured to the left of the stage as he told the Chinese president, "Let's go."
Then, in a bizarre move, Trump asked someone off-stage, "Which way?" before proceeding to wander off to the right, where a staffer quickly moved to lead him into the conference room.
Trump failed to follow Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cues and wandered around the room without her.
This wasn't the first time during Trump's Asia trip that he appeared lost while meeting with a world leader.
During his stop in Japan, Trump missed several cues from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi – and at one point continued to walk an extended distance around a meeting room before noticing she was not at his side.
Instead of following Takaichi's lead when she stopped to bow before the Japanese flag, Trump saluted.
On social media, critics called out Trump and claimed he was clearly suffering from cognitive decline.
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Trump Branded 'Walking Embarrassment'
Critics called out Trump aimlessly wandering around and needing assistance.
One X critic shared a video of Trump's meeting with Takaichi and raged about what a "f------ joke" the U.S. has become under his leadership.
The scathing post read: "Trump is confused, saluting when he didn't need to do so, and having to be shown the right way to walk by the PM of Japan. Does he even know where he's at?"
Another user replied: "Trump's botched salute and toddler-like shuffle prove he's not just unfit for office, he's a walking embarrassment who turns every international moment into a global cringe-fest."
Meanwhile, Trump fueled scrutiny when he confused a cognitive exam for a "very hard" IQ test while bragging about his results from his recent medical exam at Walter Reed to reporters on Air Force One.
