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President Donald Trump meets Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. <\/span>AP Photo\/Evan Vucci<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Donald Trump has <\/span>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\u2019s ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. And he has always been very clear about the reasons why.<\/p>\n \u201cSaudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,\u201d Trump said<\/a> at a campaign stop in 2015. \u201cThey buy apartments from me. They spend $40\u00a0million, $50\u00a0million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey buy apartments from me. They spend $40\u00a0million, $50\u00a0million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n The United States <\/em>once had a strong relationship with the kingdom dating back decades. But in recent years, the country\u2019s abysmal human rights record\u2014fomenting war in Yemen and feuding with Qatar\u2014as well as its strong grip on the oil market, have led to an often tense relationship. At least, until Trump came along.<\/p>\n As that tension has receded, the business relationships between the Trump family and the Saudis have only grown closer\u2014whether 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.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2014with an eighth event planned in 2026 at Trump\u2019s golf course outside Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n During a deposition in 2022 as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James\u2019 civil fraud lawsuit against him, Trump even intimated<\/a> that he could sell one of his Scottish golf courses to Saudi Arabia for an \u201castronomical\u201d amount of money\u2014far more than the course is actually worth, he said. Pressed on the idea, he quickly demurred and refused to offer further details.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s CEO attended Trump\u2019s inauguration in January, enthusiastically posting videos and pictures from exclusive events<\/a>. Since then, the company\u2019s 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<\/a>, the gateway city for Islam\u2019s holy city of Mecca.<\/p>\n Ethics experts have roundly condemned Trump\u2019s conflicts of interest in the Middle East\u2014which, to be fair, involve several other countries, not just Saudi Arabia\u2014as anything but appropriate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hours before MBS arrived in Washington, the Trump Organization announced<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n During Trump\u2019s first term, Saudi operatives murdered and dismembered MBS critic and Washington Post<\/em> columnist Jamal Khashoggi. In response, in the midst of global outrage, Trump offered a gentle condemnation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a bad situation, \u201d he said<\/a> at the time, \u201cWe can not let this happen to reporters, to anyone.\u201d <\/p>\n On Tuesday, during the Crown Prince\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cA\u00a0lot of people didn\u2019t like that gentleman that you\u2019re talking about, whether you like him or didn\u2019t like him, things happen,\u201d Trump said. He insisted that MBS knew nothing about the murder\u2014a CIA assessment later found<\/a> it highly likely that MBS actually ordered the killing\u2014and complained that the press was embarrassing a guest.<\/p>\n As unsurprising as Trump\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat my family does is fine. They do business all over,\u201d Trump told reporters. \u201cThey\u2019ve done very little with Saudi Arabia actually, I\u2019m sure they could do a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n