President Donald Trump hosted Mohammad bin Salman for a ritzy dinner at the White House hours after defending the Saudi crown prince’s alleged involvement in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Although it was technically not a state dinner, since bin Salman’s father Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud is Saudi Arabia’s head of state, Tuesday evening's affair boasted all of the frills of one. Piano music played as the crown prince — along with soon-to-be trillionaire Elon Musk, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, and top administration officials — poured into the East Room of the White House to attend the candlelit, black-tie dinner.