In a recent interview, former President Donald Trump revealed that he has had conversations with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman within the last six months. However, Trump declined to disclose the details of their discussions or the frequency of their communication.
When asked about the potential impact of the US increasing oil and gas production on Saudi Arabia, Trump expressed a positive sentiment towards the crown prince, stating, 'He likes me, I like him.' Trump emphasized the importance of providing protection to Saudi Arabia, noting that they are not naturally shielded and reiterated his commitment to safeguarding them.
Trump also criticized President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama, suggesting that their administrations had weakened US relations with Saudi Arabia. He claimed that Saudi Arabia is now leaning towards China but expressed his belief that they would prefer to maintain a strong alliance with the United States.
It is worth noting that the US intelligence community previously concluded that the crown prince had approved the operation to capture or kill Saudi journalist and American resident Jamal Khashoggi.