Trump Reveals What He Told Xi About Political Prisoners

• September 30, 2026

Donald Trump in a suit and red tie sits at a desk, speaking, with five men in suits standing behind him in a formal setting with flags and military decorations in the background.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Donald Trump told the Daily Signal he had “hopefully fruitful” discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping about political prisoners in China, including American Min Zin and Jimmy Lai.

When asked by the Daily Signal if he discussed the release of political prisoners, Trump said, “I did.”

“We talked, and I think we had some very, very important discussions,” he said. “Hopefully fruitful discussions.”

BIG NEWS: @POTUS tells @DailySignal he had "hopefully fruitfully" discussions with Xi about political prisoners in China, including American Min Zin and Jimmy Lai.

"We talked, and I think we had some very, very important discussions. Hopefully, fruitful discussions." pic.twitter.com/3hCoTNgXgI
— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) September 30, 2026

Trump met with Xi Thursday and Friday in Washington, D.C.

In June, Min Zin, an American husband and father of one, was arrested after landing in China for an academic conference. His wife, Sylvia, told the Daily Signal before the summit that she was hopeful Trump would secure her husband’s freedom.

“President Trump is the only one who can do it,” she said, “and we are praying and counting on him to bring my husband home.”

Jimmy Lai, a businessman and newspaper publisher jailed for publishing criticisms of Beijing, was first arrested in 2021.

Following a two-year trial and five-year detention, in 2025, China convicted him of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious material.

Trump said he raised Lai’s imprisonment with Xi during the May state visit. After that visit, Trump was able to secure the release of Pastor Ezra Jin.

Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell | White House Correspondent

Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell is the White House correspondent for the Daily Signal.

Follow on X TheElizMitchell

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