First Lady Melania Trump captivated attendees in a striking strapless emerald gown, complementing the colors of Saudi Arabia’s flag, as she accompanied President Donald Trump in hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The lavish dinner, held in the East Room on Tuesday night, marked a significant announcement: Saudi Arabia’s elevation to ‘major non-NATO ally’ status and the signing of a strategic defense agreement. Only 20 nations, along with Taiwan, share this distinction. President Trump also commended the crown prince for committing to a $1 trillion investment in the United States.

Despite the chilly, rainy weather in Washington, Mrs. Trump exuded elegance, walking hand in hand with the president as the crown prince’s sleek vehicle arrived. At 55, she made a fashion statement in a $3,350 emerald strapless gown by Elie Saab, subtly signaling support for MBS. The crown prince’s visit stirred controversy due to past events, such as the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks. The visit coincided with heightened political scrutiny over Jeffrey Epstein, as Congress was set to vote on releasing Epstein-related documents.

Although President Trump pledged to sign the bill concerning Epstein, the timing appeared influenced by the high-profile dinner. MBS arrived without a personal entourage but was accompanied by a Saudi delegation and several prominent U.S. business figures, including Elon Musk, who made his return to the White House following a fallout with Trump earlier in June. Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo also graced the event, alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The East Room’s guest list also featured Donald Trump Jr. with Bettina Anderson, Tiffany Trump with Michael Boulos, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Fox News personalities Bret Baier and Maria Bartiromo.

Business leaders on hand included Apple’s Tim Cook, Charles Schwab, General Motors’ Mary Barra, Pfizer’s Albert Bourla, CBS News’ David Ellison, Palantir’s Alex Karp, Blackstone Group’s Stephen Schwarzman, CitiGroup’s Jane Fraser, as well as Ross Perot Jr., the son the late independent presidential candidate Ross Perot, among others. ‘I only wish we had about 2,000 more seats,’ Trump commented when giving the toast, pledging to host the Saudis for a second dinner once his gilded ballroom was finished in about two years, the president estimated. The Saudi visit already took a tense turn, as there were fireworks between the president and the press in the Oval Office earlier Tuesday afternoon.

ABC News’ Mary Bruce asked the president about the Trump Organization’s real estate projects in the gulf nation – and whether they represented a conflict of interest – and then turned her attention to the crown prince. She asked him about the 2018 death of Khashoggi. Bruce cited U.S. intelligence agencies when saying to MBS ‘you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist’ and also noted that ‘ 9/11 families are furious that you’re here in the Oval Office.’ ‘Why should Americans trust you?’ she asked, with Trump asking, ‘Who are you with?’ throughout her inquiry. The president answered for MBS. ‘You’re mentioning someone that was extremely controversial,’ he said of Khashoggi, whose writings were extremely critical of the Saudi royal family, including MBS. ‘A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it,’ Trump said of the crown prince. ‘You don’t have to embarrass our guest,’ the president added.

Trump blew up at the journalist a second time, even threatening to pull ABC’s license, when she asked a follow-up on the Epstein files. ‘It’s not the question that I mind, it’s your attitude,’ Trump snapped. ‘I think you’re a terrible reporter,’ he added, calling her an ‘insubordinate.’ MBS answered the Khashoggi inquiry by saying that it was ‘really painful to hear anyone losing his life for no real purpose or not in a legal way.’ ‘And it’s been painful for us in Saudi Arabia. We did all the right steps of investigation, etc., in Saudi Arabia. And we’ve improved our system to be sure that nothing happened like that,’ the crown prince added.

Trump’s warm welcome – which included a military flyover and a parade of horses – received criticism, especially due to it being a splitscreen moment with the Epstein-related vote. ‘With the coincidence this afternoon of the vote in the House of Representatives and the visit of MBS to the White House, it feels like a clarifying moment: On one side, Trump, Epstein and MBS. On the other, those who respect decency and honor humanity,’ wrote the Bulwark’s Bill Kristol, a Republican critic of Trump.

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat behind the Epstein bill alongside Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie, called attention to Trump’s meeting with MBS on the House floor. ‘Right now, Trump is meeting the Saudi prince MBS,’ Khanna said. ‘That’s not America First To me, America First means meeting with Epstein survivors to make sure American girls will not be [sexually assaulted].’