Xi Jinping, President of China, and Other Foreign Leaders Including Italy, El Salvador, and Argentina Invited; No Precedent of Foreign Leaders Attending US Presidential Inauguration Ceremony
Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, is reported to have sent inauguration invitations not only to Xi Jinping, the President of China, but also to heads of state from countries around the world, including Italy and El Salvador.
According to CNN on the 14th, Trump is inviting leaders from various countries to his inauguration. A Trump aide said, "Trump is very eager to invite world leaders to the inauguration," adding, "He wants a global stage." Earlier, Trump's team announced that they had invited President Xi to the inauguration ceremony to be held in Washington DC on the 20th of next month.
Trump is also said to have extended invitations to several other leaders besides President Xi. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, and Argentine President Javier Milei are reported to have received inauguration invitations from Trump's team. All three leaders are classified as far-right and have shown special affinity toward Trump. There are also reports that Viktor Orb?n, the Hungarian Prime Minister known as the "Trump of Hungary," is considering attending the inauguration.
In the United States, invitations to the presidential inauguration are typically extended by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the State Department, which contacts foreign governments to confirm the attendance of diplomatic envoys and sends official invitations. However, this inauguration's invitations were also freely extended through unofficial channels via close aides, in addition to the formal invitation letters. CNN reported that even Trump's closest staff find it difficult to determine who has actually received invitations.
It remains uncertain whether the invited leaders will actually attend the inauguration. CNN reported that in China's case, a delegation of senior officials is expected to attend in place of President Xi. The El Salvador presidential office also received an invitation from Trump's team, but it is unclear whether President Bukele will attend in person.
It is rare for foreign heads of state to attend a U.S. presidential inauguration. According to State Department records since 1874, no foreign head of state has attended a U.S. presidential inauguration to date.
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