Diplomacy in the Middle East can be a lot like juggling knives while someone is shooting at your feet. It's a complicated part of the world, with endemic ethnic and religious tensions, historical antipathies, and a lot of people who aren't enamored of the Western world in general and the United States in particular. President Trump, however, seems to be doing reasonably well. On Tuesday, the president welcomed the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, to the White House, and the two made comments and answered questions in an Oval Office presser.
A couple of interesting points; first, a rather effusive welcome from President Trump to the Crown Prince; of course, the two have met before.
.@POTUS to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office: "It's an honor to be your friend — and it's an honor that you're here." 🤝 pic.twitter.com/BR9TLH9elx
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 18, 2025
The president said:
But I just want to say, it's an honor to be your friend, it's an honor that you're here, and if you'd like to say a few words, but thank you very much.
But here's the real meat of the conversation: Saudi Arabia has apparently now agreed to bump a previous $600 billion investment into American businesses to a $1 trillion investment.
First, the president touts the jobs this investment is expected to create:
.@POTUS holds a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "I want to thank you because you've agreed to invest [more than] $600 billion into the United States... we appreciate it very much... What it really means for everybody that really counts is JOBS." pic.twitter.com/csaE2sAwsO
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 18, 2025
The president spoke about $21 trillion in foreign investment in the United States, noting that the Biden administration secured $4 trillion in four years, opposed to the present administration's $21 trillion in 10 months.
About Saudi Arabia's commitment, President Trump said:
That means investment in equipment, in plants, in companies, on Wall Street, and what it really means for everybody that really counts is jobs.
And that investment got a significant boost:
.@POTUS on Saudi Arabia's $1T investment in the U.S.: "When you invest a trillion dollars, that's national security for us, too, because it creates jobs. It creates a lot of things... That's a real ally that will do that. It creates a lot of power for the United States." pic.twitter.com/XY1EH1mUsb
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 18, 2025
Here, the president stated:
You know, when you invest a trillion dollars, that's national security for us, too, because it creates jobs, it creates a lot of things. And I would say, (Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent) when you hear one company is putting a trillion dollars into the United States, that creates national security. You know, I don't think that they have to say that, but I think a big part of that is also the tariffs are in play. But even beyond tariffs, that's a real ally that will do that. It creates a lot of power for the United States.
A trillion dollars, that is, as someone once said, a big freakin' deal.
Saudi Arabia has nominally been an ally of the United States for a long time. Any American president should exercise a degree of caution in dealing with them; having spent a brief time in that country, I came away with the distinct impression that complete understanding between the USA and the Kingdom will never be more than tentative. But for now, President Trump seems to be justifying his claims as the consummate deal-maker.
Read More: Essex Files: Saudi Arabia’s Bold Leap to Modernity
One specific deal that was mentioned was a sale of state-of-the-art F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia. The purchase will be from Lockheed-Martin, but the American government has to approve any such deals. This isn't earth-shaking; we have always sold military hardware to the Saudis, including F-15 fighters and M1A2 tanks.
Speaking of deals, they weren't all business-related.
.@POTUS: "We've had a very good talk on the Abraham Accords... I think you have a very good feeling toward the Abraham Accords."
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 18, 2025
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "Yes, definitely, Mr. President. We want peace for the Israelis, we want peace for the Palestinians." pic.twitter.com/wP2jpBDabM
There was, we should note, no actual commitment from the Crown Prince on the Kingdom joining the Abraham Accords. Will that come in time? That's anyone's guess.
You can see the entire event here. The presser begins about one hour and 38 minutes in.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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