In a highly controversial move, the Biden administration chose to praise Saudi Arabia on 9/11. That comes as Joe Biden himself faces criticism for choosing to skip the traditional means of observation in favor of appearing in Alaska, the first president to do so.

On Monday morning, the 22nd anniversary of the devastating attack, Adrienne Watson put out a social media post in which she lauded the Saudis for committing $20 billion to the Partnership for Global Infrastructure. 

We welcome this weekend’s announcement by Saudi Arabia committing $20 billion to support President Biden’s signature initiative, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure (PGI).

— Adrienne Watson (@NSC_Spox) September 11, 2023

Watson is the spokeswoman for Andrew Sullivan, who heads up Biden's National Security Council. It was not immediately clear why the administration felt it was appropriate to laud the nation that helped facilitate 9/11 on the anniversary of the deadly terror attack. 

The response was overwhelmingly negative, with many savaging the White House for its tone-deaf messaging. 

Just incredible timing here https://t.co/M5WQ8FLAzi

— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) September 11, 2023

Just incredible timing here https://t.co/M5WQ8FLAzi

— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) September 11, 2023

Great tweet for 9/11 https://t.co/1JXKWGbvwQ

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) September 11, 2023

Some speculated that the post was made as part of an agreement with Saudi Arabia to secure the financial commitment, though that's unproven. For many years, the Saudis have sought to obfuscate and escape their culpability in the attack, even as they operate as allies of the United States. 

As to the Partnership for Global Infrastructure, which Watson describes as Biden's "signature initiative," it is a fund that seeks to dump money into third-world nations in order to "help address the climate crisis," among other justifications. It was established in mid-2022 via a presidential memorandum. 

If the administration's goal was to reiterate its care for 9/11 after the president chose to not visit any of the attack sites nor commemorate the day at the White House, putting out a post praising the Saudis undermined that completely. Was this a mistake or purposeful? I'm not sure it matters, because even if it's incompetence, it speaks to a broader issue in which nothing matters to Biden and his underlings except their preferred political aims. 

Either the Saudis gave this money to curry favor and received it, or the president's team cares more about plugging some climate change boondoggle than solemnly remembering 9/11. Neither explanation is acceptable.