Trump defended after viral toast video triggers backlash online
Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing.
United States President Donald Trump has been fiercely defended after a clip of him toasting Chinese President Xi Jinping sparked backlash.
The 79-year-old Republican is currently on a three-day state visit in Beijing, discussing politics with Xi Jinping.
Footage of Trump's visit, which commenced on Wednesday (13 May), has since been circling across social media, showing the world leader taking a sip and toasting the Chinese leader during a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People earlier today (14 May).
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Many Trump critics rushed online to call out the president for allegedly being hypocritical, given his anti-alcohol stance.
One X user penned: "Trump, who does not drink because his older brother died of a drinking problem, takes a sip and toasts President Xi Jinping in a sign of respect."
"Trump literally spent years building a whole brand around never touching alcohol because of his brother, but breaks his lifelong rule just to sip wine and fawn over Xi Jinping," slammed a second.
And a third chimed in: "Giving up his core values."
Others, however, rushed in to defend Trump's toast.
"Do you know what was actually in that glass?" questioned a fourth X user.
A fifth echoed: "Do you know what he sipped? I am absolutely sure it was a non-alcoholic drink."
"You can toast with non alcoholic drinks… but you know that," chirped another.
And a final X user added: "A toast is a little different from drinking."
Trump has previously claimed that abstaining from alcohol was 'one of [his] only good traits'.
He explained that the reason why he didn't drink was that his late brother, Frederick Crist Trump Jr., had lost his life to alcoholism.
"I had a brother, Fred. Great guy, best-looking guy, best personality, much better than mine," he said during a 2018 press conference.
"But he had a problem. He had a problem with alcohol, and he would tell me, 'Don't drink. Don't drink.' He was substantially older, and I listened to him and I respected [him]."
A year later, Trump discussed his late sibling and his battle with alcoholism further, telling the Washington Post that the pilot had died at the age of 42 from a heart attack caused by drink abuse.
He shared at the time: "He was so handsome, and I saw what alcohol did to him even physically... and that had an impact on me, too.
"Let’s say I started drinking, it’s very possible I wouldn’t be talking to you right now."
Determined to avoid the fate of his brother, Trump chose the path of sobriety and has always lived an alcohol-free life.
"As they’re downing scotches, he’d be downing Diet Cokes," American author and journalist Gwenda Blair told the New York Times in 2020.
"It’s part of his ultracompetitive profile. This is a guy who is so competitive that his high school coach said he was the most coachable kid he had ever coached because, unlike most kids, Donald remembered what he needed to win."
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle