Trump Defends Saudi Crown Prince During Historic White House Visit Amid $1 Trillion Investment Pledge

President Donald Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington on Tuesday for his first White House visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.

The welcome ceremony featured remarkable pomp, including a military flyover and thunderous greeting from the U.S. Marine band as Trump warmly received the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.

The relationship between the two nations had previously deteriorated following the operation against Khashoggi, a critic of the kingdom and Washington Post journalist, which U.S. intelligence agencies assessed was likely directed by Prince Mohammed.

Seven years later, however, those tensions have dissipated. Trump has strengthened his alliance with the 40-year-old crown prince, whom he considers essential for shaping the Middle East's future. Prince Mohammed continues to deny involvement in Khashoggi's death, who was both a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.

During their meeting, the Khashoggi incident was barely mentioned as the leaders focused on unveiling billions in deals and discussing Middle East strategy. The day concluded with an evening White House reception organized by first lady Melania Trump honoring the prince.

When questioned about the journalist's killing, Trump dismissed concerns, stating, "Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen."

In the Oval Office with the prince beside him, Trump even praised the Saudi leader's human rights record without providing specifics, saying, "I'm very proud of the job he's done. What's he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else."

The crown prince announced that Saudi Arabia would increase its planned U.S. investments from $600 billion to $1 trillion, referencing the previously announced figure from Trump's May visit to the kingdom.

The Trump family has business interests in Saudi Arabia. Dar Global, a London-based developer, recently announced plans for Trump Plaza in Jeddah, marking their second collaboration with the Trump Organization in Saudi Arabia following last year's Trump Tower Jeddah announcement.

When questioned about potential conflicts of interest, Trump insisted, "I have nothing to do with the family business," adding that his family has relatively minimal interests in the kingdom.

While not technically a state visit since the crown prince is not the head of state, Prince Mohammed effectively governs day-to-day for his father, King Salman, 89, who has experienced health challenges in recent years.

Unlike typical foreign leader visits where guests are driven to the West Wing doors, Prince Mohammed received a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn alongside the Saudi prime minister.

Trump showed the prince the newly-installed Presidential Walk of Fame featuring gold-framed images of past presidents along the West Wing colonnade, including an autopen-signed photo of former President Biden in place of an official portrait.

Following their Oval Office meeting and Cabinet Room luncheon, Trump was scheduled to bid farewell to the prince in the afternoon, before reuniting with him and the first lady for an East Room dinner that evening.

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi Pro League, was also expected to attend the White House during the crown prince's visit, according to an unnamed White House official.

The visit's agenda includes an investment summit at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday featuring executives from Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer, the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron and Saudi Aramco, potentially announcing additional Saudi deals.

Prior to Prince Mohammed's arrival, Trump announced plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia despite concerns within his administration about potential Chinese access to the advanced technology.

The announcement surprised some, given Republican wariness about disrupting Israel's military advantage over its neighbors, especially while Trump relies on Israeli support for his Gaza peace plan.

This unexpected move comes as Trump attempts to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. During his first term, Trump helped forge commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE through the Abraham Accords.

Trump views expanding these accords as crucial to building Middle East stability after the two-year Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. He believes Saudi Arabia's participation - as the largest Arab economy and birthplace of Islam - would create a domino effect across the Arab world.

However, Saudi Arabia maintains that establishing a clear path to Palestinian statehood must precede normalizing relations with Israel, while Israel remains firmly opposed to a Palestinian state.

The UN Security Council recently approved a U.S. plan for Gaza that authorizes an international stabilization force and outlines a possible path to Palestinian independence.

The leaders were expected to discuss maintaining Gaza's fragile ceasefire, addressing concerns about Iran, and the ongoing civil war in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia seeks formal assurances defining the scope of U.S. military protection for the kingdom, though any agreement not ratified by Congress could be reversed by a future president.

Prince Mohammed, who has avoided Western visits since Khashoggi's killing, aims to reestablish himself as a global leader committed to diversifying Saudi Arabia's economy beyond oil by investing in mining, technology, and tourism.

Saudi Arabia is expected to announce a multi-billion dollar investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure and new cooperation in civil nuclear energy, according to a senior Trump administration official.

Before the visit, a coalition of eleven human rights groups urged the Trump administration to leverage Saudi Arabia's desire for expanded U.S. business and defense ties to secure concrete commitments on human rights and press freedom.

Activists claim Saudi authorities continue to suppress dissent by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political critics. Human rights organizations have documented increasing executions in Saudi Arabia, which they link to efforts to suppress internal opposition.

"Saudi Arabia's crown prince is trying to rebrand himself as a global statesman, but the reality at home is mass repression, record numbers of executions, and zero tolerance for dissent," said Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch. "U.S. officials should be pressing for change, not posing for photos."