Trump meets business partner In the Oval Office

Donald Trump has never been particularly critical of the Saudis, despite a human rights record that has brought harsh condemnations from his predecessors. Unlike previous presidents and even many in his own party, Trump has generally struck a conciliatory, or even friendly, tone when dealing with the country’s ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. And he has always been very clear about the reasons why.

“Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,” Trump said at a campaign stop in 2015. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”

The United States once had a strong relationship with the kingdom dating back decades. But in recent years, the country’s abysmal human rights record—fomenting war in Yemen and feuding with Qatar—as well as its strong grip on the oil market, have led to an often tense relationship. At least, until Trump came along.

As that tension has receded, the business relationships between the Trump family and the Saudis have only grown closer—whether through state-owned enterprises, like the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which handles international investments of Saudi surplus money at the direction of MBS, or individual real estate developers who operate under the watchful eye of Saudi royals.

Trump’s love of golf has offered special opportunities for the Saudis. In 2022, after the PGA tour abandoned Trump for his divisive politics during his first term that culminated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the LIV Golf league brought its tour to Trump-owned golf courses. The LIV league, owned by PIF, challenged golf’s staid norms and paid players previously unheard of nine-figure salaries. It already has brought its tournament and likely multi-million dollar fees to Trump-owned golf courses seven times—with an eighth event planned in 2026 at Trump’s golf course outside Washington, D.C.

During a deposition in 2022 as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud lawsuit against him, Trump even intimated that he could sell one of his Scottish golf courses to Saudi Arabia for an “astronomical” amount of money—far more than the course is actually worth, he said. Pressed on the idea, he quickly demurred and refused to offer further details.

As a real estate mogul, Trump has found other opportunities to work with them. Between his two terms, Trump struck a deal to build a handful of properties in partnership with Dar Global, a Saudi firm that grew out of a major Saudi real estate developer. The company’s CEO attended Trump’s inauguration in January, enthusiastically posting videos and pictures from exclusive events. Since then, the company’s plans with Trump have expanded to include a tower in Dubai, a golf course in Qatar, three resort properties in Oman, two projects in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, and another tower in Jeddah, the gateway city for Islam’s holy city of Mecca.

Ethics experts have roundly condemned Trump’s conflicts of interest in the Middle East—which, to be fair, involve several other countries, not just Saudi Arabia—as anything but appropriate.

Hours before MBS arrived in Washington, the Trump Organization announced its latest project with Dar Global. They plan to build a resort in the ultra-exclusive Maldives Islands in the Indian Ocean, using crypto to finance the project.

During Trump’s first term, Saudi operatives murdered and dismembered MBS critic and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. In response, in the midst of global outrage, Trump offered a gentle condemnation.

“This is a bad situation, ” he said at the time, “We can not let this happen to reporters, to anyone.”

On Tuesday, during the Crown Prince’s White House visit, after seven years and many business deals, Trump offered a far less sympathetic view. When reporters asked the president, seated next to MBS, about Khashoggi, his reply was terse.

“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,” Trump said. He insisted that MBS knew nothing about the murder—a CIA assessment later found it highly likely that MBS actually ordered the killing—and complained that the press was embarrassing a guest.

As unsurprising as Trump’s about-face on Khashoggi was, his denial on Tuesday that there has been anything improper about his own personal and financial relationship with Saudi Arabia, was even more outlandish.

“What my family does is fine. They do business all over,” Trump told reporters. “They’ve done very little with Saudi Arabia actually, I’m sure they could do a lot.”