President Donald Trump will formally welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House Tuesday morning. It’s his first visit to the U.S. in seven years.
Ahead of the prince’s visit, the president shared news of a major arms deal on the table.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
F-35s to Saudi Arabia
Asked Monday in the Oval Office if he plans to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, Trump didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah. No, I am planning on doing that. They want to buy, they’ve been a great ally. They’ve got to like us very much,” Trump said. “Look at the Iran situation. What we did in terms of obliterating, you know, their … We obliterated their nuclear capability. Yeah. I will say that we will be doing that. We’ll be selling F-35s. Yeah.”
If approved, it would be the first time the U.S. has ever sold its most advanced stealth fighter to an Arab military. It’s a move that could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East and potentially erode Israel’s long-standing military edge.
Visit controversy
But the visit isn’t without controversy.
The crown prince’s trip marks his first return to U.S. soil since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a killing that U.S. intelligence said he likely ordered.
Tuesday, he will arrive to full pomp and circumstance.
The two leaders are expected to sign new defense and economic agreements, including cooperation on oil, security, artificial intelligence and a massive package of U.S.-Saudi business deals.
Tuesday night, Trump will host Salman for a formal dinner as the White House attempts to finalize a broader security pact and re-engage Saudi Arabia on regional stability.
