- Donald Trump had what is believed to be the first meeting with Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia since leaving the White House in 2021.
- The two became close during their tenure with Trump securing arms deals.
- It comes as President Joe Biden attempts to negotiate a delicate Middle East peace deal.
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Donald Trump spoke with Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in what is believed to be his first meeting since leaving the White House in 2021.
The exact nature of the discussion between the former president and the Saudi leader has not been revealed, sources told the New York Times.
It comes as President Biden attempts to negotiate a delicate Middle East peace deal.
The trilateral deal he seeks is likely to include a peace treaty between Saudi Arabia and Israel, an Israeli commitment to a two-state solution, and a U.S.-Saudi understanding on defense and a civil nuclear program in Saudi Arabia.
President Joe Biden is trying to foster relationships first forged during the Trump administration but then tarnished during his presidential campaign.
Donald Trump met with Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in what is believed to be his first meeting since leaving the White House in 2021.
It comes as President Joe Biden attempts to negotiate a delicate Middle East peace deal.
The president had vowed to treat the crown prince as a “pariah” after the CIA ruled that he had likely orchestrated the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden had previously vowed to treat the crown prince as a “pariah” after the CIA ruled he had likely orchestrated the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The matter did not appear to worry Trump, who managed to protect bin Salman amid intense scrutiny by Congress following the findings.
Just nine months after Khashoggi’s murder, Trump referred to Prince Mohammed as “a friend of mine” and praised his “spectacular work” modernizing Saudi Arabia’s laws to allow women to drive.
The relationship and the big deals he was able to secure are extremely important to Trump, as demonstrated when he took office and decided to visit Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad.
The connection has also benefited his son-in-law and former White House adviser, Jared Kushner, whose investment firm, Affinity Partners, earned $2 billion from the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Prince Mohammed intervened personally to overrule advisers who felt Kushner was too inexperienced.
Trump has also shown his Saudi connections since leaving the White House by securing a deal with the government of Oman and a Saudi company for a Trump-branded multimillion-dollar real estate development in Oman.
The deal was struck as Trump prepared to announce his third presidential bid in 2022.
Trump was unfazed by the allegations against Prince Mohammed and continued to foster a warm relationship with him.
The exact nature of the argument between the former president and the Saudi leader has not been revealed, sources told the New York Times.
The Saudi prince is not the only foreign dignitary with whom Trump has been in contact. Last month, he hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has also hosted the Saudi-backed LIV golf tour at some of his golf courses despite controversy surrounding the league.
As the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump is now poised to lead any future deal with Saudi Arabia, as Biden will need the support of two-thirds of the Senate to ratify any deal. Currently, Democrats have a slim majority.
The Saudi prince is not the only foreign dignitary Trump has been in contact with in recent weeks.
Last month, he welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has publicly praised Orbán at his rallies. The Hungarian politician has become an icon for some conservative populists for championing what he calls “illiberal democracy,” replete with restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.