Trump defends Saudi prince over the murder of journalist Khashoggi: "Things happen"
Mohammed Bin Salman's visit is expected to result in a mutual defense agreement between Washington and Riyadh, as well as the future purchase of F-35 fighter jets.
WashingtonThe only leader to receive a reception similar to that given to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage. Donald Trump greeted the Saudi leader on Tuesday on the South Lawn of the White House with the Marine Corps band playing a fanfare while soldiers on black horses escorted the limousine from which bin Salman emerged. As with Putin, Trump flew a group of F-35 fighter jets in a V formation over the White House, the same model the administration wants to begin selling to Riyadh despite warnings from the Pentagon. No other leader or ally visiting Washington has received such lavish treatment as the petro-prince. Nor does any other politician have as many business dealings intertwined with the Trump clan as the Saudi monarchy. The US president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, founded Affinity Partners with a $2 billion investment from the Saudi Arabian government's public investment fund. Kushner, married to Ivanka, has always had close ties in the region, which he recently used to mediate the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.
When Trump announced in the Oval Office that Saudi Arabia would invest $600 billion in the United States, the magnitude of the reception was self-evident. "So Saudi Arabia will be investing at least $600 billion, which means investments in industrial plants, in companies, money on Wall Street, and what it really means for everybody is jobs, lots of jobs," the US president said, emphasizing that "it's an honor to be your friend and it's an honor to have you here." For the first time in nine months, the one showering praise in this room is not the guest, but the host.
The flattery seems to have worked, as suddenly, Bin Salman has raised the figure. The prince has said Saudi Arabia "believes in the future of America" and that it will increase its commitment to invest $600 billion in the United States to nearly $1 trillion. This is the size of Saudi Arabia's entire sovereign wealth fund, the same fund from which the money for Kushner's business deal originally came.
Since his last visit to the United States seven years ago, Bin Salman has steadily gained power and influence internationally, making him difficult for Washington to ignore. It has also been seven years since Saudi agents killed and dismembered the columnist for the Washington PostJamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul, which made Prince Mohammed an international pariah for a time, and many of those new friends disappeared. When Trump was asked about the events, he dismissed them as "fake news" and settled it with a "these things happen" ("Things happen
"You're mentioning someone who was extremely controversial—a lot of people didn't like the person you're talking about. Whether you liked him or not, these things happen," the tycoon stated, who hasn't been one to reprimand the journalist for questioning the Saudi representative. Once again, he emphasized to the journalists in the Oval Office that neither he nor "the future king" should be there answering questions, but that they were. "There has never been such transparency," Trump falsely claimed, trying to pass off his constant public exposure as genuine oversight of his actions.
Shortly afterward, annoyed by questions from an ABC reporter about the Epstein papers, Trump attacked her personally—"You're a terrible person and a terrible journalist"—and directly threatened to revoke the network's broadcasting license. "I think ABC's license should be revoked because their news is so fake and so wrong, and we have a great commissioner, a chairman, who should look into it," the president said, referring to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr. The visit is also expected to include the signing of a mutual defense alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia, which includes a potential agreement to transfer US nuclear technology to Riyadh and establish a framework for cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence. Yesterday, Trump announced that talks were also underway to sell US F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, despite warnings from the Pentagon. Several intelligence reports have warned about the possibility of China acquiring the aircraft technology if the sale goes ahead. In recent years, Bin Salman has not only entertained influential figures in the United States—from Hollywood actors to major investors and politicians—but has also worked to strengthen ties with Beijing. But this doesn't seem to worry Trump.
With all this, Trump also hopes to trick the Saudi prince into establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Even so, it seems to be a long-term goal as long as the recognition of Palestine remains a red line for Tel Aviv. Bin Salman has shown himself open to joining the Abraham Accords to normalize relations between Arab countries and Israel—Morocco and the UAE already joined in 2020—and Riyadh wants to be a part of them to establish relations, but first it must be clear that there is a "path to a two-state solution."
