Warm US Welcome Gives Saudi Arabia ‘Lopsided’ Rewards (Correct)

Nov. 19, 2025, 8:18 AM UTC

US President Donald Trump gave Saudi Arabia’s crown prince a lavish reception in Washington, offering a defense agreement that includes cutting-edge warplanes and absolving him of the murder of a newspaper columnist in 2018.

Less clear was what Trump got in return.

The US leader greeted Mohammed bin Salman with a dozen flag-carrying soldiers on horseback, a Marine Corps band playing from the White House balcony and a flyover by the F-35 fighter jets the Saudis have long coveted. The White House later said the two countries signed a loosely worded defense cooperation pact, and Trump designated Saudi Arabia as ...

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