On his first day back in the White House, reporters asked Donald Trump where he might go on his maiden overseas trip. The US president saw it as an opportunity to show off his deal-making prowess and expound on how he would convince Saudi Arabia to inject billions of dollars into the US economy.
While US presidents often visit Canada, Mexico or the UK as their first foreign destination, Trump upended that tradition when he traveled to Saudi Arabia in May 2017. Hours after his second inauguration, Trump dangled the possibility of a return trip to the kingdom – for a price. “I did it with Saudi Arabia last time because they agreed to buy $450bn worth of our products,” he said. “If Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another $450bn or $500 – we’ll up it for all the inflation – I think I’d probably go.”
