Trump’s $2.2 Trillion Dinner with Xi Sparks AI Policy Concerns

The guest list for the private dinner features some of the world's most powerful industry leaders, including Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella. While the White House has released the menu for the evening, the official agenda remains undisclosed. Observers expect the conversation to center on artificial intelligence, a field where the Trump administration has signaled a preference for deregulation and rapid expansion.

This gathering has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders, who recently proposed legislation to pause advanced AI development. Sanders argued that the current trajectory serves the interests of a few billionaires rather than humanity at large, noting that the wealth of these executives has nearly doubled since the start of Trump's term. As Bloomberg reporter Jonathan Tamari noted, the event reflects a governing style that treats Silicon Valley leadership as an extension of the executive branch. Other notable attendees include Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Apple’s Tim Cook.