US President Donald Trump in a recent media talk triggered fresh controversy after making unusually blunt remarks about Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He said the Saudi prince now has to treat him differently than past American presidents.
Speaking at a public gathering, Trump claimed the crown prince had not expected to depend on him politically. He bragged that the Saudi leadership once viewed US leadership as weak but now “has to be nice” to him.
“He didn’t think he would be kissing my ass, he really didn’t…and now he has to be nice to me….he better be nice to me, he’s gotta be,” Trump said about the Saudi prince.
The comments stand out even by Trump’s confrontational political style, particularly given Saudi Arabia’s position as one of Washington’s most important security and energy partners in the region.
Many on X posted that public mockery of senior Gulf leadership is rare in US politics and risks complicating already sensitive diplomatic dynamics between the two sides.
Earlier, Saudi intelligence told The Guardian that Riyadh sees a rare strategic opening to reshape regional power if the US dethrones Iran. It is no secret that Saudi Arabia and Iran have long competed for influence across the Middle East.
A previously leaked US State Department cable also showed Saudi leadership desperately urged Donald Trump to take aggressive action against Tehran during earlier stages of the Gulf War.
There are currently no confirmed indications of direct Saudi military involvement since fighting started last month. Some analysts on X say Riyadh is closely monitoring diplomatic efforts and may engage more actively if current mediation efforts by Pakistan fail.
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