Donald Trump has met with Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman, their first known meeting since Trump left office in 2021. The former president had his meeting shortly after a Biden aide was forced to cancel his trip due to an injury.
It is unclear what Trump and bin Salman discussed, but the meeting comes as President Joe Biden is trying his best to get Saudi Arabia and Israel on the negotiating table for a Middle East peace deal.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s visit was cancelled due to a broken rib. White House spokesman John Kirby said earlier today: “Jake was planning to head to the region this week, that trip has been postponed. He’s recovering from a cracked rib and that has affected his ability to travel.”
Trump often deferred to Mohammed bin Salman during his presidency, declining to directly blame him for the gruesome killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi even after the CIA implicated him in the murder.
Saudi Arabia’s investment fund has also invested $2 billion in the investment firm of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
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It’s not clear if Trump and Mohammed bin Salman have met since the former left office, but this is the first time such a meeting has been documented.
Trump, 77, could be trying to keep the Saudi leader close as he makes another run for the White House.
His grip on the Republican Party means he has considerable influence on lawmakers who could scuttle Biden’s plans for a peace deal.
Such plans could include a Saudi-Israeli peace agreement, Israeli commitment to a two-state solution, a US-Saudi defence agreement and parameters on a Saudi civilian nuclear program.
On Wednesday, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan postponed plans to meet with Mohammed bin Salman this week after he suffered a cracked rib, further stalling talks between the two nations.
Saudi Arabia was Trump’s first visit as president.
During that trip, the GOP candidate took an infamous picture with King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as they all touched a glowing translucent globe.
Mohammed bin Salman is King Salman’s seventh son and is widely considered to be the actual ruler of the oil-rich nation, partly due to his violent crackdown on corruption and his jailing of members of his own family.
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