President Donald Trump is pulling out all the stops for Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House — a trip that’s coming as Trump continues to battle the press corps in Washington.
The slew of events begins with a formal arrival ceremony later on Wednesday, just as a judge is expected to hear arguments in a lawsuit brought by the three news outlets the president banned from the White House last week.
Trump’s team has so far defended its restriction on access, though some close to the administration privately argue it’s an unnecessary distraction.
And Trump’s meeting with the Chinese leader may end up with more constrained coverage than it would have if he hadn’t escalated.
The president was noncommittal on Tuesday when asked if he would abide by the federal district court’s decision on the media organizations’ suit.