By Hassen Lorgat
In a move widely described as “rude” and “uncouth,” President Donald Trump appeared to publicly humiliate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) during a recent address. The incident, which has sent ripples through diplomatic circles, raises questions about the future of the US-Saudi alliance amid shifting geopolitical tides.
For those who missed the exchange, Trump’s comments were as striking as they were deliberate. While praising the 90-year-old Saudi King Salman—whom he called “a great guy with a great son”—Trump pivoted sharply to the Crown Prince. He reminded the audience that MBS had allegedly called the US “a dead country” just a year ago, only to now find it “the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
The insult was delivered with trademark bluntness: “He did not think this was going to happen. He did not think he would be kissing my ass… He thought he would be just another American president that was a loser, where the country was going downhill. But now he has to be nice to me.”
Before analysing why this klap or slap, I must say that Trump has anal issues as he often refers to it when talking about other leaders. Almost a year ago, he said that other leaders were kissing his ass, pleading with him to negotiate trade issues. Or maybe he has a limited vocabulary….
Why the Public Slap?
The public berating comes at a tense moment in US-Saudi relations. Reports have emerged suggesting that MBS had encouraged the US to take action against Iran, advocating for regime change—a claim the Kingdom has vehemently denied, insisting it has always supported a peaceful resolution.
However, the Saudi agenda has increasingly diverged from Washington’s. Riyadh has been actively strengthening ties with China and Russia, joining the BRICS bloc for instance. We must remember the historic deal brokered by China in March 2023, which brought Iran and Saudi Arabia together to restore diplomatic relations and whilst it brought praise to Chinese diplomacy it may have been the seeds of the Saudi path away from putting all its military and strategic eggs in the US basket. This pivot eastward suggests a strategic realization that the US may be a distant partner compared to regional neighbors.
Iran has shown its reach and saviness in the recent military escalations when it attacked largely US bases in Gulf countries. Recently. Iran has claimed responsibility for drone and missile strikes targeting the US military at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The sophistication of the attack has led to speculation regarding foreign surveillance support in particular that of the Russian state.
A Fatal Friendship?
The destruction of a US E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft—a $300 million surveillance plane—in the strike has raised serious security concerns and has put into question the long held assumption that those bases were there to protect the Kingdom. As noted by The Guardian, questions linger over how such a critical asset was left unprotected. Photos circulated by NBC News showed the plane’s tail broken off and its signature radar dome on the ground—a loss The Hill noted as the first time such an aircraft has been destroyed in combat.
Photo NBC:Photos circulated Sunday showing a damaged E-3 Sentry plane after a strike on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base. Obtained by NBC News
The White House flash back
President Trump’s brash style is not new; last year, he employed similar tactics during a visit from the South African president Ramaphosa to his White House. They put off the lights and continued to lambast South Africa about the White Refugee lies…. But the treatment of MBS—a man who has staked his reputation on economic diversification and modernization—feels particularly pointed.
A statement often attributed to Henry Kissinger, though originally spoken in late 1968 by South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, seems hauntingly relevant: “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”
The Saudis must find their own way in this turbulent world, but the signs suggest the road will be long and arduous. Once that path is found, it will offer clarity and guidance to those at home who respect Saudi Arabia—those who have, at times, followed the kingdom’s signals without sufficient circumspection.
