Saudi Arabia has been on an aggressive modernization push for years under the leadership of bin Salman, but has struggled to answer questions on human rights, equality, and its history involving international terrorism. Just years ago, former President Joe Biden declared bin Salman a pariah over his role in Khashoggi’s killing.

On Tuesday, Trump took a different tack, praising the crown prince’s record on human rights during his opening remarks.

“We have [an] extremely respected man in the Oval Office today, and a friend of mine for a long time. A very good friend of mine,” Trump said. I’m very proud of the job he’s done. What he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.” 

He also claimed that he and bin Salman have “been really good friends for a long period of time. We’ve always been on the same side of every issue.” 

When pressed on the ethical concerns regarding the crown prince’s visit, not only because of the CIA’s assessment that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi’s assassination, but also allegations concerning 9/11 and accusations that the president’s own family is currently profiteering in the Middle East, Trump dismissed the latter. Bin Salman was only 16 during the 2001 terrorist attacks.

“I have nothing to do with the family business,” Trump shot back at the reporter after calling ABC News “fake news.” “They do business all over. They’ve done very little with Saudi Arabia. Actually, I’m sure they could do a lot, and anything they’ve done has been very good.”

A frustrated Trump went on to rebuke the same reporter for questioning the Khashoggi murder and later for asking about late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

“You’re mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about, whether you like him or didn’t like him; things happen, but he knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that,” the president said. “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.” 

Bin Salman claimed he felt “painful about, you know, families of 9/11 in America.” 

A still-incensed Trump later threatened legal action against ABC News during the bilateral meeting.

“I’ll tell you something. I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong,” Trump warned. “And we have a great commissioner, chairman [referring to Federal Communications Commision head Brendan Carr] who should look at that, because I think when you come in and when you’re 97% negative to Trump, and then Trump wins the election in a landslide, that means obviously your news is not credible, and you’re not credible as a reporter.”

Trump simultaneously used Tuesday’s White House meeting to underscore his economic accomplishments as he and his administration try to address affordability concerns emphasized by this month’s off-year elections. To that end, he and bin Salman previewed that the crown prince would be increasing Saudi Arabia’s initial investment commitment in the U.S. that he announced in May.

“I believe, Mr. President, in the today and tomorrow, we’re going to announce that we are going to increase that, that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion of investment, real investment and real opportunity by details in many areas,” bin Salman teased ahead of Wednesday’s U.S.-Saudi investment summit in Washington. 

Bin Salman was pushed on whether Saudi Arabia could deliver on that commitment, considering his economic policy is underpinned by domestic investment amid downward pressure on international oil prices.

“We are not creating big opportunities to please America, please President Trump. It’s real opportunities,” he said in defense of the investment. 

Trump and bin Salman are expected to sign several security, trade, and technology agreements during the crown prince’s visit, including one deal that allows Saudi Arabia to purchase defense equipment from the U.S. The president signaled on Monday that he would allow the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a move that raises tensions among nations in the Middle East. 

The president told reporters on Tuesday he had already discussed the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel with bin Salman. But the two leaders did not reach a firm agreement on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, a deal brokered during Trump’s first term that normalized diplomatic relations between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Trump is additionally anticipated to pressure bin Salman over the implementation of the Israel-Gaza peace deal and the rebuilding of Gaza.

The bilateral meeting between Trump and Bin Salman is a notable shift in U.S.-Saudi relations after the CIA concluded that the crown prince ordered the assassination of Khashoggi in 2018 during Biden’s tenure. Bin Salman has repeatedly denied ordering the assassination but claimed he took responsibility for Khashoggi’s death as it happened under his leadership. 

Regardless, Bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, was greeted at the White House on Tuesday with a military flyover of three F-35 and three F-15 airplanes, after he and Trump shook hands in front of reporters, a gesture that Biden never extended to the crown prince. The South Lawn was decorated with U.S. and Saudi Arabia flags, with several Cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, awaiting the crown prince’s arrival. The U.S. Marine Band played music throughout bin Salman’s arrival, his first visit to Washington, D.C., since 2018.

Trump then gave bin Salman a tour of the “Presidential Walk of Fame,” which features portraits of former presidents minus Biden, who is represented by an autopen, and the renovated Rose Garden patio. 

Trump criticized Biden during the meeting for fist-pumping bin Salman during the former president’s own visit to Saudi Arabia in 2022, in part because of COVID-19 concerns.

“When you get out of the plane and you got the future king and a man who’s one of the most respected people in the world, you shake his hand, you don’t give him a fist bump,” Trump said. 

After their appearance in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump and bin Salman are scheduled to have a bilateral lunch in the Cabinet Room.

Later Tuesday night, Trump will fete bin Salman and distinguished guests, from golfer Tiger Woods and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, with a pseudo-state dinner at the White House, the first formal dinner honoring a foreign leader of Trump’s second administration. Bin Salman is technically not a head of state, but his father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has delegated key duties to him since 2017. 

TRUMP ROLLS OUT ‘RED CARPET’ FOR SAUDI CROWN PRINCE’S TRIP TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Bin Salman’s visit comes months after Trump travelled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE in May during his first international trip of his second administration. The president touted a $600 billion investment commitment during that visit to Saudi Arabia. 

On Wednesday, Trump will attend a U.S.-Saudi investment summit with more than 400 CEOs at the Kennedy Center.