Fox News anchor Bret Baier touched a nerve when he suggested to President Donald Trump that China’s President Xi Jinping “liked” his postition on arms sales to Taiwan, taking a random shot at former President Joe Biden in response.

The president has just wrapped up a high-stakes trip to Beijing, China, where he was feted by and conferred with President Xi amid a blanket of pageantry and secrecy. The trip drew the attention of the world and concern over Trump’s statements about Taiwan.

Baier scored an extensive sit-down with President Trump in Beijing, which aired on Friday night’s edition of Fox News Channel’s Special Report.

In one exchange, Baier pressed Trump about whether he will approve a pending arms sale to Taiwan, and suggested his indecision made Xi happy — drawing a shot at Biden:

BAIER: Should the people of Taiwan feel more or less secure after your meetings with President Xi?

TRUMP: Neutral. Neutral. This is the…

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: Has the policy changed at all?

TRUMP: No, nothing has changed.

BAIER: U.S. policy.

TRUMP: No, nothing has changed. I will say this. I’m not looking to have somebody go independent and, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.

BAIER: But you’re waiting on approving billions of dollars of weapons for Taiwan.

TRUMP: That’s right, I…

(CROSSTALK)

BAIER: Is that moving forward?

TRUMP: Well, I haven’t approved it yet. We’re going to see what happens.

BAIER: What are you looking for?

TRUMP: I may do it. I may not do it.

BAIER: Yeah, what’s your — your hinge point?

TRUMP: Well, I’m not going to say that. But I may do it, I may not do it. But we’re not looking to have wars. And we’re — if you kept it the way it is, I think China is going to be OK with that. But we’re not looking to have somebody say, let’s go independent because the United States is backing us, you know?

BAIER: So President Xi probably liked that you haven’t approved the weapons to Taiwan?

TRUMP: I would say like is maybe too strong a word because he thinks I could do it with just the signing of my signature, unlike Biden who couldn’t sign his signature. No, I’m holding that in abeyance. And it depends on China. It depends. It’s a — it’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons. It’s $12 billion. It’s a lot of weapons.

Watch above via Fox News Channel’s Special Report.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!