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 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
