During a meeting at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump extended a cordial welcome to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Despite the shadow cast by the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump stood by the crown prince, even when questioned by a journalist about the incident.
“You’re mentioning someone who was extremely controversial. Many people didn’t like that gentleman you’re talking about,” Trump responded, referring to Khashoggi. “Whether you liked him or not, things happen. But he [the crown prince] knew nothing about it.” Trump further emphasized, “You don’t have to embarrass our guest.”
The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi significantly strained the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi was a harsh critic of the Saudi regime, infamous for its harsh penalties, including the execution of approximately 350 individuals annually, among them political dissidents and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Khashoggi, a Virginia resident and Washington Post columnist, was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. There, he was ambushed by a 15-man hit squad, suffocated, and dismembered. His body has yet to be recovered.
Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s repeated denials of any involvement in Khashoggi’s death, U.S. intelligence reportedly suspects that he likely orchestrated the operation.
The crown prince, who goes by MBS, has denied any involvement, but US intelligence is said to believe it is likely he directed the agents to carry it out.
But Trump has stayed close to the Saudi royal family, giving MBS a warm welcome that included a flyover with F-15s and F-35s, a parade of horses, and a pat on the back, which was an apparent breach of royal protocol.
The president then took the crown prince on a tour around the renovated Rose Garden, showing off the ‘Presidential Hall of Fame,’ where he depicts former President Joe Biden as an autopen.
When Trump welcomed the Saudi ruler into the Oval Office, he commended him for being strong on ‘human rights and everything else.’
Donald Trump greets Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman on the South Lawn at the White House today
Trump rolled out the red carpet for the blood-soaked leader, with warplanes roaring over Washington, D.C.
Trump showed the crown prince his newly decorated ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ before the pair headed inside for discussions
Trump places a hand on Prince Mohammed’s back as he welcomes him to the White House
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright attend the arrival ceremony of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the South Lawn of the White House
The Trump family also has substantial private business interests in Saudi Arabia, including a colossal residential skyscraper planned for Jeddah.
Though Trump pushed back on this when asked during an Oval Office appearance with the Saudi leader.
‘They do business all over,’ Trump said of his family’s business. ‘They’ve done very little with Saudi Arabia.’
In a sign of the deepening ties between America and Saudi Arabia, Trump announced earlier that he would approve the sale of F-35 jets to the Islamic kingdom.
The landmark deal means it becomes the first Middle Eastern country, except for America’s longstanding ally Israel, to access the state-of-the-art fighters.
Besides the F-35 deal, a White House official indicated a working relationship with Israel and a US-Saudi partnership are also on the table for discussion.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, that Saudi Arabia ‘wants to buy.’
‘We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35 jets,’ Trump said. ‘They’ve been a great ally.’
Traditionally, the United States has green-lit the sale of fighter jets to military friends, like countries that are a part of NATO.
This move would effectively change the balance of defense and military power in the region.
In response, Israel has asked the president to ‘condition the sale,’ saying they are not opposed to it, but that it needs to be ‘subject to Saudi normalization of Israel.’
If the US-Saudi fighter jet agreement goes through, Israel may ask for security assurances. It takes just minutes for an F-35 plane to fly from Saudi to Israel.
Analysts say the announcement might not actually result in the country receiving the fighter jets anytime in the near future.
Trump places his hand on the crown prince’s back as the pair watch a military procession
Trump and Prince Mohammed watch a flyover of military aircraft on the South Lawn at the White House
Trump gestures as Prince Mohammed grins as the president shows off the ‘Walk of Fame’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walk down the colonnade
Trump and the crown prince chat outside the White House on Tuesday
Trump welcomes the crown prince surrounded by dignitaries and military
A procession of cavalry bearing the green Saudi flag outside the White House
Trump and the crown prince beside the portrait of Joe Biden’s autopen, a dig at the former president
Trump and Prince Mohammed at the colonnade at the White House
Trump and Crown Prince and Prince Mohammed bin Salman walk down the Colonnade on the way to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on November 18
‘The devil will kind of be in the details there,’ Andrew Leber, a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who has done extensive research on Saudi Arabia, told NBC News.
He noted that a prior deal made with the United Arab Emirates also fell through, saying the same could happen this time around.
Congress could review the potential deal and could stop it from going forward.
The Trump family’s active projects in Saudi Arabia also include plans for a Trump Tower in Riyadh.
The Trump Organization also announced a new project on the heels of Salman’s arrival with their Saudi-linked development partners Dar Global, opening in the Maldives in 2028.
