“Fox & Friends” found itself in an awkward situation on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, when host Brian Kilmeade incorrectly identified Lara Trump as First Lady Melania Trump while covering President Trump’s arrival in Beijing, China live on air. The confusion, which unfolded in real time as Air Force One landed at Beijing Capital International Airport, rapidly became one of the most discussed incidents of the China visit.
Fox News preempted regular programming to show the president’s landing, with hosts Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt, and Lawrence Jones seated on the couch alongside Michael Allen, a former George W. Bush aide. As the 79-year-old president made his way slowly down the stairs — welcomed by a military honor guard and a red carpet with people holding Chinese and American flags — the broadcast switched to the live feed.
A Live TV Mistake Happening in Real Time
“Michael, we apologize for cutting you off. We’re going to tune in to this greeting for a moment, then we’ll get back to you,” Jones told Allen, while a band performed in the background over the sound of Air Force One.
Kilmeade then referred to “the first lady” descending the stairs to meet the president. Earhardt, noticing something amiss right away, softly mentioned that it “could be Lara Trump.” She then stated, “I believe that’s Lara Trump.” Kilmeade, speaking more quietly, said it was “probably odd for her” and that it “would have been the first lady.”
An extended period of silence followed. The studio feed went silent for over a minute, with only the tarmac audio remaining as the camera operators worked to get a better angle. When the hosts resumed, Kilmeade quickly refocused the viewers’ attention, describing the crowd’s chants and mentioning that the president “made a fist pump as he stepped down.”
Who Actually Departed the Aircraft
The individuals exiting Air Force One following the president were not Melania, 56, but Trump’s second son Eric, 42, and his spouse Lara, 43 — a Fox News correspondent in her own right. This family relationship made the broadcast error particularly striking. The first lady’s office spokesperson stated that “First Lady Melania Trump is not participating in this journey.”
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Tracy King, the first lady’s limited travel may represent an intentional approach — one that “minimizes her visibility to public examination, lowers the risk of being caught up in everyday political drama, and ensures that her appearances hold increased significance.”
The flight roster resembled a list of attendees at a major international business conference. Eric and Lara were joined by Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Larry Fink from BlackRock, Apple’s Tim Cook, Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone, and filmmaker Brett Ratner. Representatives from Goldman Sachs, Boeing, Visa, and Mastercard completed the group.
The group was actually bigger than initially announced. Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s leader — whose technology is vital to the AI race between the U.S. and China — flew on Air Force One alongside Trump and Musk. Boeing’s delegation was headed by Kelly Ortberg, with plane purchase discussions continuing despite Beijing’s counter-tariffs on U.S. products. Dina Powell McCormick, Meta’s President and Vice Chair, and Jane Fraser, Citigroup’s CEO, were also participants.
Where Are the Specialists on China?
Noticeably missing from the roster: people with significant knowledge of China. The delegation received strong pushback from Brett Bruen, former director of global relations at the Obama administration, who posted on X that the group lacked the specialists typically advising a president.
“Not a single China expert,” Bruen stated on May 12. “POTUS would normally have at least one NSC/State official to provide briefings. Underlines how utterly unprepared he is for meetings with Xi.”
Trump’s press secretary Steven Cheung was unhappy with the remarks and responded with a strong rebuke, calling Bruen a “slope-brained, mouth breathing moron” and implying that any organization that employed him should demand compensation.
On May 12, President Trump left Washington, D.C. for the journey, which concluded on Friday. He was received on the tarmac by Chinese officials when he landed, though President Xi Jinping was notably not among the greeters.
Trump departed Beijing on Friday, May 15, following the two-day meeting that emphasized ceremony while offering few substantive results. Thursday’s bilateral discussion between the two leaders lasted approximately two hours and fifteen minutes, then concluded with another gathering Friday at Zhongnanhai — the compound where China’s senior government officials reside and conduct business — during which Trump and Xi strolled through botanical gardens and dined on kung pao chicken, Peking duck, scallops, and dumplings. Trump characterized the journey as “incredible” and touted “wonderful trade arrangements,” while Xi called the discussions “historic” and a “turning point.”
On the subject of Iran, Trump stated that Xi told him he would not deliver military support to Tehran — which Trump termed “a significant remark.” However, no progress was made on the Taiwan issue, where Xi cautioned of potential “confrontations and potentially armed conflict” if not managed appropriately, or regarding the liberation of media mogul Jimmy Lai who is imprisoned.
According to Bloomberg, Trump’s conclusion was that “the meeting essentially remained at the beginning position, gaining minimal assistance from his purported ‘friend’ Xi Jinping.” The Atlantic Council was more direct: “It was an impressive spectacle — but produced minimal tangible outcomes.”
As for the Fox & Friends desk? It’s reasonable to expect that Kilmeade will thoroughly review his Trump family reference materials before the subsequent significant arrival.