Trump scrambles to defend Saudi crown prince in an embarrassing display

[Thiệu Ngô]

It’s occasionally tempting to think Trump has hit rock bottom, but then he finds a way to drill a hole in the bottom of the barrel and fall even lower.

By Steve Benen

In July 2018, Donald Trump’s presidency reached a new low in Helsinki, where the Republican held a disastrous press conference alongside Russia’s Vladimir Putin, making it clear to the world that he was prioritizing the Russian leader over the United States’ interests and values.

Soon after, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials “were unanimous in saying that they and their colleagues were aghast at how Mr. Trump had handled himself with Mr. Putin.” One official summarized a consensus view, concluding that it was clear whose side Trump was on, and “it isn’t ours.”

This came to mind anew on Tuesday afternoon, watching the American president welcome Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, to the Oval Office.

Even before the president’s guest arrived at the White House, the scheduled meeting was controversial, in part because of the private sector dealings between Trump’s family business and Saudi officials. But after their public interactions, the story took a turn for the worse. The New York Times summarized:

President Trump brushed aside a reporter’s question about the role Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, played in the death and dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist in 2018, praising the kingdom’s de facto ruler in a joint Oval Office appearance that was heavy on flattery. Mr. Trump strongly defended Prince Mohammed, who U.S. intelligence has said ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was killed by Saudi agents. Prince Mohammed has denied involvement.
Almost immediately after the joint event began, Trump praised the Saudi leader for “the job he’s done in terms of human rights and everything else.” Given the horrific human rights record Saudi Arabia has cultivated over the course of many years, the American president’s commendation was appalling.

Similarly, there was reason to question Trump’s values when he boasted that he and the crown prince have “always been on the same side of every issue.”

But things deteriorated further soon after.

Q: Is it appropriate for your family to be doing business in Saudi Arabia while you're president. Is that a conflict of interest? And your royal highness, the US intel community concluded you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journali---

TRUMP: Who are you with?

Q: ABC News

TRUMP: Fake news

When a reporter pressed Trump on his obvious conflicts of interest, and the crown prince on intelligence pointing to his role in orchestrating the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Republican interrupted to dismiss ABC News’ correspondent as “fake news.”

Moments later, Trump suggested that Khashoggi had it coming.

“You’re mentioning someone that was extremely controversial,” Trump said of the slain Washington Post journalist. “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 [Salman] knew nothing about it. You don’t have to embarrass our guest.”

It’s hard to even know where to start with comments this disgusting. The torture and dismemberment of a journalist, for example, does not fall under the “things happen” category. For that matter, intelligence officials from Trump’s own country have concluded that the Saudi crown prince was very much involved in the murder plot.

As for the idea that the reporter’s question might “embarrass” Trump’s “guest,” it’s not the job of the free press to protect the feelings of foreign authoritarians.

Trump soon after whined about a reporter asking the Saudi leader “an insubordinate question,” as if members of the free press were somehow the crown prince’s employees.

As the event continued, the American president horsed around with the crown prince as if they were a pair of kids having a good time. Grabbing his guest’s hand, Trump specifically said: “I don’t care where that hand’s been.”

It’s occasionally tempting to think the Republican has hit rock bottom, but then he finds a way to drill a hole in the bottom of the barrel and fall even lower.