Saudi Crown Prince to Visit U.S. Congress in Shifted Tone/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Washington for talks with U.S. lawmakers, marking a dramatic shift from his earlier pariah status. Previously condemned over the Khashoggi killing, MBS now sees renewed economic and diplomatic warmth. His visit includes a Capitol meeting and a major U.S.-Saudi investment summit.
Saudi-U.S. Relations Quick Looks
- MBS meets with members of Congress in a discreet setting.
- Trump praises the Saudi leader despite past controversies.
- Senator Rubio, once a critic, attends White House meeting.
- Some lawmakers, like Senator Tim Kaine, still raise objections.
- MBS announces $1 trillion in future U.S. investments.
- New U.S.-Saudi agreements on arms, AI, and nuclear energy revealed.
- No high-profile Capitol photo ops scheduled for the visit.
- MBS attends a major investment conference with U.S. CEOs.
Deep Look: Saudi Crown Prince Reemerges in Washington Politics
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has returned to Washington with a dramatically different reception compared to previous visits, signaling a political shift in U.S.-Saudi relations. On Wednesday, MBS is set to meet with several U.S. lawmakers at the Capitol, marking his most public re-engagement with Congress since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
President Donald Trump hosted the Saudi leader at the White House on Tuesday with warm remarks and public support. During the meeting, Trump praised MBS as a friend of the United States and showed no hesitation in brushing past prior controversies, including the killing of Khashoggi—an act that U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was approved by MBS himself.
This moment illustrates a striking change from the widespread condemnation bin Salman once faced from Congress. Just a few years ago, bipartisan outrage over the Khashoggi case and Saudi Arabia’s military role in Yemen sparked legislative efforts to curb U.S. support for the kingdom. In 2019, a bipartisan resolution passed demanding an end to American military aid for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, although it failed to override Trump’s veto.
Among the most vocal critics at the time was then-Senator Marco Rubio, who referred to MBS as a “gangster.” On Tuesday, however, Rubio, now Secretary of State, sat only steps away from the crown prince during their Oval Office discussion. The scene underscored a rehabilitated image for MBS within Washington’s highest circles.
“He is reckless, he’s ruthless, he has a penchant for escalation,” Rubio once said in 2019, describing MBS’s aggressive foreign policy stance. Now, those remarks seem a distant echo amid renewed talks of economic and defense cooperation.
While the reception has softened, not all lawmakers are aligned with this new tone. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who represents Virginia—the state where Khashoggi resided—offered pointed criticism following the Trump-MBS meeting. Kaine accused Trump of prioritizing personal financial interests over U.S. values and called for continued pressure on Saudi Arabia for accountability and alignment with American security interests.
The visit, however, is not without substance. The crown prince agreed to raise Saudi Arabia’s investment portfolio in the U.S. from $600 billion to a projected $1 trillion. This economic expansion was a focal point of his agenda, alongside participation in a high-level investment conference in Washington. The event is set to include top executives from leading American corporations and signifies deepening economic interdependence.
Beyond investments, the two sides also announced a series of new agreements across key sectors. These include expanded arms sales, cooperative initiatives in civil nuclear technology, and joint development in artificial intelligence. These deals mark a strategic pivot that underscores both nations’ intent to evolve their long-standing relationship.
Interestingly, despite the political weight of the visit, it lacked some of the ceremonial optics typically associated with international dignitaries. There were no scheduled photo opportunities with Republican congressional leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson or Senate Leader John Thune. Their absence from public engagements highlights that while policy interests may have shifted, lingering discomfort around MBS remains among certain U.S. factions.
Though details of Wednesday’s meetings with Congress were kept relatively quiet, the symbolism of the moment is clear: MBS, once internationally shunned, is now back at the heart of U.S. power corridors. His return is framed not by apologies, but by billions in investment and a mutual desire to forge ahead in a new geopolitical era.
As the crown prince continues to navigate his image transformation, the balance between economic partnership and ethical scrutiny remains a key tension in U.S.-Saudi relations—one that will likely define future interactions between Washington and Riyadh.
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