US President Donald Trump rolled out an opulent reception for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington on Tuesday, extending both a security pact featuring warplanes and a public defence of the royal's alleged role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The red-carpet treatment immediately triggered backlash. Senator Bernie Sanders sharply criticised Trump's approach, accusing him of favouring authoritarian billionaires while 'disliking' ordinary Muslims. "Trump dislikes Muslims, except those who are billionaire autocrats who can make his family even richer," Sanders posted on X, responding to commentary about Mohammed bin Salman's transformation in Washington from international outcast to honoured guest at the White House.
This visit marks the crown prince's first trip to the United States since 2018, when Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and outspoken critic of the Saudi government's handling of human rights, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The killing strained Saudi-US relations and drew global condemnation.
Despite that history, Trump greeted the crown prince with grand spectacles such as a military flyover of F-35 stealth jets, ceremonial cannon fire, a parade of soldiers on horseback, and an elaborate South Lawn banquet.
Later, when questioned by a reporter about his family's business ties to Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman's alleged involvement in Khashoggi's murder, Trump lashed out. Branding the journalist "one of the worst in the business," he reprimanded him for "embarrassing our guest" and added, "My family has done very little with Saudi Arabia. He's (Prince) done a phenomenal job... He knew nothing about [Khashoggi]."
For his part, Mohammed bin Salman described the killing as "painful" and "a huge mistake", insisting that Saudi authorities had since strengthened their investigative processes to ensure such incidents do not recur.
Trump's Earlier Public Interactions Concerning Muslims
Upon taking office in 2017, Trump had issued a travel ban targeting seven Muslim-majority nations, triggering airport chaos and widespread protests.
In a 2016 interview with CNN, Trump declared, "I think Islam hates us," claiming "there's a tremendous hatred there." He also suggested mosque surveillance and a temporary halt on foreign Muslim entry "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
In a Fox Business interview following the Brussels terrorist attacks, he added, "we're having problems with the Muslims," arguing, "You need surveillance, you have to deal with the mosques whether we like it or not."
