Former President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on November 19, 2025, for a high-profile “working visit” that showcased deep strategic and economic ties while drawing immediate scrutiny over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and significant potential arms sales to Riyadh. The meeting occurred as the US sought to advance a complex normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, a diplomatic track heavily complicated by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and raising the stakes for a pathway to a Palestinian two-state solution.
Diplomatic Push and Controversial Remarks
The optics surrounding the Crown Prince’s first White House visit since the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul were unmistakably grand, featuring a mounted honor guard and a military flypast of F-16 and F-35 jets. However, the substance quickly turned controversial when President Trump addressed questions regarding the journalist’s death. Trump seemingly downplayed the murder, referring to the late Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and suggesting that such events “happen,” even as a US intelligence assessment had concluded that Mohammed bin Salman ordered the operation.
During the Oval Office meeting, the former President firmly asserted that the Crown Prince had no knowledge of the assassination. Trump went further, chastising an ABC News reporter for raising the question and suggesting that the network should potentially lose its broadcast license—a move many observers characterized as undermining press freedom.
Billion-Dollar Economic and Military Ties
The centerpiece of the discussions focused on massive economic cooperation and advanced military transfers. Trump championed Saudi investment in the US, citing an initial figure of $600 billion, which the Crown Prince, at Trump’s urging, indicated could ultimately reach $1 trillion.
Crucially, Trump confirmed his intention to move forward with the sale of top-of-the-range F-35 stealth fighters to Riyadh. This prospect immediately generated concern from US intelligence communities, who worry about the potential for technology compromise given Saudi Arabia’s increasing security cooperation with China. Furthermore, Israel, a key US ally and the sole operator of the F-35 in the region, traditionally objects to such advanced arms sales to Arab states. Trump dismissed these objections, stating the jets would have similar specifications to those supplied to Israel, calling both nations “strong US allies.”
Beyond military hardware, US officials highlighted a significant Saudi investment push into America’s artificial intelligence sector and advanced cooperation on developing a civilian nuclear program within the kingdom.
Normalization Hangs on Two-State Solution
A core objective of the White House agenda was pursuing a broader diplomatic accord that would see Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel. This normalization, previously pursued through the Abraham Accords, is contingent on the establishment of a clear pathway toward a two-state solution for Palestinians.
The context of the meeting, however, was framed by the escalating conflict in Gaza. Since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent two years of Israeli bombardment resulting in heavy Palestinian casualties, analysts noted that the political cost for Saudi normalization has significantly increased. Crown Prince Mohammed confirmed Riyadh’s interest in joining the Abraham Accords but stressed the prerequisite of a clear path to a two-state outcome—a position Trump assured had been “discussed at length.”
Scrutiny Over Business Dealings
The visit inevitably revived long-standing ethical scrutiny of the Trump family’s business interests in the Gulf. The Trump Organization has reportedly engaged in extensive talks regarding multibillion-dollar Saudi investments during the former president’s second term.
President Trump vehemently denied any conflict of interest, maintaining that he had stepped back from daily management of the Trump Organization and devoted himself fully to his office. He insisted his family’s dealings with Saudi Arabia were “limited and legitimate,” though detailed reports suggest substantial ongoing negotiations, underscoring persistent concerns over the blurring of lines between political office and personal business gain in US-Saudi relations. Moving forward, the proposed F-35 sale and the complex normalization track—now firmly tied to Palestinian statehood—will dominate US foreign policy discussions in the region.