Trump's Lavish Praise for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed: A Corrupt Deal-Cutting Alliance
US President Donald Trump has been lavishing praise on Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman during his recent visit to the US, a move that is seen as part of a corrupt deal-cutting alliance. The prince's seven-year hiatus from visiting the US was marked by a grand welcome, with Trump hosting him for lunch and talks at the White House, followed by a black-tie dinner that included members of Congress, business leaders, and top administration officials.
The visit is part of Prince Mohammed's rehabilitation tour, years after US intelligence agencies concluded that he had ordered the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. The prince's involvement in the journalist's murder has long been a contentious issue between the US and Saudi Arabia, with Trump never wavering in his support for the Saudi leader during his first term.
The deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed is rooted in the prince's loyalty to the president, particularly after several US banks and businesses cut ties with Trump's organization following the January 2021 storming of the US Capitol. In response, Saudi Arabia stood by Trump and his family business, expanding various real estate deals and golf partnerships that helped Trump at one of his lowest points.
The prince has since amassed more goodwill with Trump than most other world leaders, largely due to Saudi Arabia's support for Trump's golf resorts and businesses when he was out of office. In fact, the PGA of America cancelled its 2022 major championship at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, following the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
However, Trump soon convinced a rival group, LIV Golf league, which is financed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund controlled by the crown prince, to host its tournaments at his golf courses. The tournaments brought revenue for the Trump family business, with LIV Golf paying the Trump Organization a site rental fee of around seven figures.
Critics argue that the prince's visit and the deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed violate the US constitution's foreign emoluments clause, which prohibits the president from receiving gifts from foreign powers. Governance watchdog groups say that the Saudi-backed league's payments to Trump's golf courses are a clear breach of this clause.
The prince's primary goal during his visit was to secure a defense cooperation agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, although it falls short of the formal defense treaty sought by the kingdom for years. Instead, Trump offered an agreement to extend US defense guarantees, boost weapons sales, and increase intelligence sharing.
As part of this deal, Prince Mohammed signed a deal to buy dozens of F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US, which has raised concerns that China might acquire the plane's technology through espionage or its security partnership with the kingdom. The sale also paves the way for Trump to secure a Nobel peace prize by negotiating an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The prince's visit underscores Trump's corrupt and transactional approach to governing, where he views the world in terms of deals won or lost. Autocrats like Prince Mohammed are eager to benefit from this approach, which has led to criticism that the US-Saudi alliance is driven by self-interest rather than a genuine commitment to democracy and human rights.
The deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed highlights the corrupting influence of wealth and power on politics, where leaders prioritize their own interests over the well-being of their citizens. As the world watches the prince's visit and the deals that come with it, one thing is clear: the price of loyalty to the president will be paid in full by the American people.
US President Donald Trump has been lavishing praise on Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman during his recent visit to the US, a move that is seen as part of a corrupt deal-cutting alliance. The prince's seven-year hiatus from visiting the US was marked by a grand welcome, with Trump hosting him for lunch and talks at the White House, followed by a black-tie dinner that included members of Congress, business leaders, and top administration officials.
The visit is part of Prince Mohammed's rehabilitation tour, years after US intelligence agencies concluded that he had ordered the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. The prince's involvement in the journalist's murder has long been a contentious issue between the US and Saudi Arabia, with Trump never wavering in his support for the Saudi leader during his first term.
The deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed is rooted in the prince's loyalty to the president, particularly after several US banks and businesses cut ties with Trump's organization following the January 2021 storming of the US Capitol. In response, Saudi Arabia stood by Trump and his family business, expanding various real estate deals and golf partnerships that helped Trump at one of his lowest points.
The prince has since amassed more goodwill with Trump than most other world leaders, largely due to Saudi Arabia's support for Trump's golf resorts and businesses when he was out of office. In fact, the PGA of America cancelled its 2022 major championship at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, following the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
However, Trump soon convinced a rival group, LIV Golf league, which is financed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund controlled by the crown prince, to host its tournaments at his golf courses. The tournaments brought revenue for the Trump family business, with LIV Golf paying the Trump Organization a site rental fee of around seven figures.
Critics argue that the prince's visit and the deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed violate the US constitution's foreign emoluments clause, which prohibits the president from receiving gifts from foreign powers. Governance watchdog groups say that the Saudi-backed league's payments to Trump's golf courses are a clear breach of this clause.
The prince's primary goal during his visit was to secure a defense cooperation agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, although it falls short of the formal defense treaty sought by the kingdom for years. Instead, Trump offered an agreement to extend US defense guarantees, boost weapons sales, and increase intelligence sharing.
As part of this deal, Prince Mohammed signed a deal to buy dozens of F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US, which has raised concerns that China might acquire the plane's technology through espionage or its security partnership with the kingdom. The sale also paves the way for Trump to secure a Nobel peace prize by negotiating an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The prince's visit underscores Trump's corrupt and transactional approach to governing, where he views the world in terms of deals won or lost. Autocrats like Prince Mohammed are eager to benefit from this approach, which has led to criticism that the US-Saudi alliance is driven by self-interest rather than a genuine commitment to democracy and human rights.
The deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed highlights the corrupting influence of wealth and power on politics, where leaders prioritize their own interests over the well-being of their citizens. As the world watches the prince's visit and the deals that come with it, one thing is clear: the price of loyalty to the president will be paid in full by the American people.
Trump's praise for Mohammed bin Salman just makes me so uncomfortable! I mean, we know Saudi Arabia has a sketchy human rights record and all, but come on! A grand welcome at the White House? A black-tie dinner with Congress members? It feels like there's more to this visit than meets the eye. 
The fact that they're trying to secure a defense deal with our government after all those allegations of Khashoggi's murder just doesn't sit right with me either... 
this whole visit feels like part of his rehab tour after the khashoggi thing. meanwhile, critics are saying it's all about foreign emoluments and corrupt deals 
governance watchdogs are having none of it. does anyone else think trump is just using saudi cash to get ahead in politics? 
! I think this whole deal-cutting alliance between Trump and Prince Mohammed is super shady 
. The prince just so happens to be a wealthy businessman with a lot to gain from this partnership, and it feels like Trump is basically doing him a solid in exchange for some serious cash 
, and I'm not sure how legitimate this whole defense cooperation agreement is going to be.
. He's so focused on winning deals and making friends with powerful people that he's neglecting the values that made him president in the first place 
. And let's not forget about the whole F-35 stealth fighter jet thing... like, isn't this just a way for China to get their hands on advanced military tech? 
, where loyalty is bought and sold like currency 
. does anyone really think he cares about human rights when there's a deal to be made? 
, Trump's praise for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed is like, totally over the top 
. And now they're making deals left and right 
, please 
. The fact that Saudi Arabia is basically bribing Trump with golf courses and real estate deals is just shady 
.
i was at the movies last week and man that post-credits scene gave me LIFE 
i need to know what happens next! anyway back to this trump thing... i mean, i get it why he'd wanna be friends with saudi prince mohammed, but like, is that really how we're supposed to be handling our foreign policy? 
newsflash, mr president: just because you've got a personal connection doesn't mean we've got to ignore all the red flags about this guy's human rights record... or his role in khashoggi's murder 
. Like, the prince is basically buying Trump's favor with his country's cash 
. Like, seriously? We're just going to sell these advanced military planes to a country with some major human rights issues? 
It's not exactly the most reassuring thing for our national security 
. Not exactly what I'd call a great look for the US