Trump pays Saudi crown prince the very best honor regardless of assassination of journalist
Donald Trump warmly embraced Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, feting the fearsome Muslim ruler with a flyover of US fighter jets.
It marks the first White House visit since Saudi agents killed Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Trump placed his hand on Prince Mohammed’s back as warplanes soared over the White House – a display of deep respect reserved for America’s closest allies.
The president showed the crown prince his newly decorated ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ before the pair headed inside for discussions.
America’s relationship with the Gulf state had been sent into a tailspin by the assassination of Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom, in 2018.
The journalist, who lived in Virginia and worked as a columnist for the Washington Post, was invited to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he was ambushed by 15 agents, suffocated and hacked to pieces. His remains have never been found.
Prince Mohammed denies any involvement but US intelligence believes it is likely he directed the agents to carry it out.
Despite the stain hanging over Prince Mohammed, Trump views him as an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East for decades to come.
US President 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
Trump rolled out the red carpet for the blood-soaked leader, with warplanes roaring over Washington DC
The president 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
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
