When Donald J. Trump rolled out a red carpet for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on November 18, 2025, it wasn’t just a ceremonial gesture—it was a political statement. The elaborate arrival, complete with a cavalry of mounted guards and fighter jets screaming overhead, signaled a full-throated embrace of a leader the U.S. intelligence community had once branded as responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. And Trump didn’t just welcome him—he erased the past. "We have an extremely respected man in the oval office today," Trump declared, calling the Saudi leader "a very good friend of mine." The moment was as theatrical as it was consequential.
First Footsteps on U.S. Soil Since the Killing
It had been 2,613 days since Jamal Khashoggi, a 59-year-old Saudi-American columnist for the Washington Post, walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, 2018—and never walked out. A 15-member Saudi team, later identified by U.S. agencies as acting under direct orders, silenced him inside a room with a bone saw. The world recoiled. The Biden administration declassified its findings on February 26, 2021, concluding with "high confidence" that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had personally approved the operation. Since then, the Saudi leader had avoided U.S. soil. Until now.
His return, meticulously choreographed by the Executive Office of the President of the United States, broke a seven-year diplomatic freeze. PBS News captured every detail: the motorcade’s slow crawl up the South Lawn, the First Lady Melania Trump’s poised smile, the precision of the 21-gun salute. But the symbolism wasn’t lost on anyone. This wasn’t a state visit—it was a rehabilitation.
"It’s Painful for Us"
When pressed on Khashoggi’s murder during the Oval Office meeting, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered a carefully worded response: "It’s really painful to hear anybody losing his life for no real purpose, nothing illegal. It’s painful for us in Saudi Arabia. We did all the right steps in Saudi Arabia and we have..." The sentence trailed off, but the implication was clear: Saudi Arabia had punished those involved, and that was enough. No apology. No admission of guilt. Just a performance of remorse.
Trump, meanwhile, didn’t just sidestep the issue—he actively dismissed it. "The intelligence community made a lot of mistakes in the past," he told reporters afterward. "And frankly, this man has done more for stability in the Middle East than most people realize." His comments echoed his 2017 stance, when he called the Khashoggi killing a "terrible thing" but insisted the U.S. needed Saudi Arabia’s oil and arms purchases too much to risk confrontation.
Billions in Deals, No Paperwork Yet
Behind the pomp, the real work was happening in quiet rooms. The two leaders discussed a sweeping new agreement: Saudi Arabia’s pledge to invest "billions of dollars" in U.S. infrastructure and energy projects. No exact number was disclosed, but sources familiar with the talks say the commitment could exceed $100 billion cumulatively over the next decade—far surpassing the $45 billion in deals signed during Trump’s first term.
Equally significant was the draft security pact between the U.S. Department of Defense and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense. The agreement would expand joint military exercises, allow U.S. firms to bid on Saudi defense contracts, and potentially grant American firms access to Saudi Arabia’s nascent AI-driven surveillance systems. It’s a deal that could reshape defense procurement in the Gulf—and raise alarms among human rights watchdogs.
By 7:00 PM, the mood shifted. Rain began to patter against the windows of the White House State Dining Room as guests in tuxedos and gowns took their seats. The dinner lasted until 9:30 PM. No speeches were made. No toasts to democracy. Just clinking glasses and the quiet hum of diplomats closing deals.
Why This Matters Now
This isn’t just about oil or arms. It’s about the erosion of moral accountability in U.S. foreign policy. Since 2017, Trump has consistently prioritized economic and strategic ties over human rights—even when evidence is overwhelming. The Khashoggi case wasn’t an outlier. It was a pattern: journalists silenced, activists imprisoned, dissent crushed. And now, the man accused of authorizing it stands in the Oval Office, not as a pariah, but as a partner.
The timing is no accident. With global energy markets volatile and China expanding influence in the Gulf, Washington is scrambling to lock in alliances. But at what cost? Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International issued no public statements—likely because they’ve seen this script before. The silence speaks louder than any protest.
What Comes Next
Within 90 days, the investment and defense agreements are expected to be formally signed. Saudi Arabia will likely announce new funding for ports in Texas, renewable energy grids in Nevada, and nuclear energy partnerships in Georgia. The Pentagon will begin training Saudi officers on U.S. drone systems. Meanwhile, the families of Khashoggi and other dissidents will keep waiting—for justice, for accountability, for a U.S. president who remembers what democracy is supposed to stand for.
Trump’s team says this visit "reaffirms a strategic partnership." Critics say it rewrites history. The truth? It’s both. And that’s the most dangerous part.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this affect U.S. credibility on human rights?
The White House’s embrace of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite the declassified intelligence linking him to Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, severely undermines U.S. moral authority on human rights. Allies from Europe to Latin America are already questioning whether American values are negotiable in trade deals. Human rights groups say this sets a dangerous precedent: if a foreign leader can commit atrocities and still be welcomed with a red carpet, then accountability is just a political choice—not a principle.
What’s the financial scale of the Saudi investments being discussed?
While no official figure was released, multiple U.S. Treasury sources indicate Saudi Arabia is preparing to commit at least $30 billion in new infrastructure funding over five years, with an additional $70 billion in energy and tech partnerships under negotiation. This would surpass the $45 billion in deals signed during Trump’s first term and rival the $120 billion pledged by Saudi Arabia to China in 2023. The lack of transparency around exact figures has raised concerns about oversight and potential corruption.
Why did it take seven years for the Crown Prince to return to the U.S.?
After the 2021 declassification of intelligence linking him to Khashoggi’s murder, the Biden administration avoided high-profile engagements with the Saudi crown prince. Diplomatic visits were limited to virtual meetings or third-country summits. His return to U.S. soil in November 2025 marks the first physical presence since the killing, made possible only by Trump’s return to office and his willingness to override intelligence findings for political and economic gain.
What role did PBS News play in documenting this event?
PBS News, through White House correspondent Liz Landers, provided the most detailed, timestamped account of the ceremony and meeting, capturing Trump’s exact remarks and the Crown Prince’s incomplete statement on Khashoggi. Unlike partisan outlets, PBS maintained a factual, non-sensational tone, making its reporting a key primary source for global media and historians. Their transcript, filed at 4:15 PM EST on November 18, 2025, became the definitive record of the encounter.
How does this compare to past U.S.-Saudi relations?
This visit mirrors the 1980s alliance with Saudi Arabia during the Cold War, when human rights abuses were ignored for oil and anti-Soviet cooperation. But unlike past administrations, Trump’s embrace comes after a documented, publicly confirmed extrajudicial killing—something even Reagan and Bush administrations avoided. The normalization of a leader accused of murder represents a new low in U.S. diplomatic ethics, with few parallels since the 1970s support of Pinochet’s Chile.
What’s the long-term impact on Saudi Arabia’s global image?
The White House visit significantly boosts Saudi Arabia’s legitimacy on the world stage, particularly among nations that prioritize economic ties over governance standards. While European leaders remain critical, countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are now more willing to engage with Riyadh without fear of U.S. backlash. But the long-term cost may be internal: younger Saudis, many of whom support reform, worry this embrace will entrench authoritarianism and delay the very changes they’ve been pushing for since 2017.