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Episode

Trump Returns from China with Nothing. Xi’s Warning on Taiwan.

Podcast
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Published
May 16, 2026
Duration seconds
2138
Processing state
not_requested
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https://bleav.com/shows/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff/episodes/trump-returns-from-china-with-nothing-xis-warning-on-taiwan/
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Markdown
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Summary

Paul Rieckhoff closes the week with a solo briefing on a scoreboard the cable shows won't put on screen. Trump returned from Beijing with no real wins, while a confidential U.S. intelligence assessment — first reported by The Washington Post — details how China is exploiting the war in Iran to gain ground on the United States militarily, economically, and diplomatically. Xi looked Trump in the eye and warned that mishandling Taiwan would lead to a clash with America. Trump, asked about promised arms sales to Taiwan on the flight home, sounded ready to sell them out the same way he sold out Ukraine. That's not partisan spin. That's the read from the no-BS chair.