President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman|The White House|X
President Donald Trump welcomed and dined with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, calling him a long-time “friend” while downplaying concerns over the kingdom’s human rights record.
Trump emphasized deepening US-Saudi ties, including major defense and investment deals. MBS announced plans to increase financial commitments in America from $600 billion to $1 trillion and to purchase nearly 300 US-made tanks.
The visit was Salman’s first White House appearance since the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA had linked to him. President Trump pushed back on questions on that matter yesterday, calling Khashoggi “extremely controversial.”
Later in the evening, the President hosted a dinner for the prince with tech CEOs, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Apple’s Tim Cook, and sports stars like golfer Bryson DeChambeau and soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
The meeting also marked Musk’s second public appearance with Trump since their public feud in June.