Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday blasted President Donald Trump's lavish welcome for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling the White House reception and state dinner a troubling embrace of "authoritarianism" and global oligarchs.
Sanders Slams Trump For Embracing ‘Worldwide Oligarchy'
In a post on X, Sanders wrote, "MBS starved hundreds of thousands in Yemen, had a US journalist dismembered, and ordered record executions. But Trump welcomed this murderer to the WH. Some of the wealthiest people in America joined him. Trump is signaling support for worldwide oligarchy & authoritarianism."
Earlier in the day, he sharpened the contrast between Saudi wealth and U.S. voters' struggles, posting, "If you’re the royal family of Saudi Arabia, worth $1.4 trillion, Trump rewards your family with F-35 fighter jets after they ordered the murder of a Washington Post journalist. If you’re a 62-year-old couple in America whose premiums will quadruple? Tough luck. America first?"
‘Trump-MBS Love Fest' And Billionaire Guest List
Sanders later issued a written statement deriding what he called a "Trump-MBS Love Fest," arguing the visit showed the United States "on the side of authoritarianism, not democracy."
He condemned Tuesday's black-tie dinner that brought together bin Salman, Trump and a roster of billionaires and CEOs, including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, saying that "while these multibillionaires become even richer, the vast majority of Americans are struggling to put food on the table and pay for housing and health care."
Sanders also said the week "again exposed Trump's extraordinary kleptocracy," noting that as Trump offers favorable treatment to Riyadh, his family and allies pursue real estate and investment ventures tied to Saudi money, echoing concerns about overlapping business and foreign-policy interests.
Massive Arms Deals And Investment Pledge Announced
Trump and bin Salman on Monday announced a Strategic Defense Agreement "fortifying deterrence across the Middle East," future deliveries of F-35 fighter jets, and a Saudi deal to buy nearly 300 U.S. tanks, alongside a joint declaration on civil nuclear energy cooperation and a pledge to lift Saudi investment in the United States to $1 trillion from $600 billion.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock.com
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