On Friday, President Joe Biden met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) using a celebratory fist bump in Jeddah.
The president is visiting Saudi Arabia to discuss pumping more oil to help him out of the energy crisis swamping the United States right now, but made a point not to shake the prince’s hand.
Recall, Biden previously called for making Saudi Arabia “a Pariah” after a US intelligence report highlighted that MBS was behind the slaying of Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey at a Saudi consulate.
To stave off admitting that he was trying to avoid a handshake, Biden put out a press statement before making the trip saying that he would not be shaking hands because of pandemic, according to ABC.
“We’re going to try to minimize contact as much as possible,” White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said on Wednesday.
Despite this, he was pictured shaking hands with Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Israel and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s very obvious he really does not want to be pictured shaking hands with the Prince.
To make sure to embarrass him, the Saudi Government blasted the photo op on their public channels showing the two touching hands.
The president pledged during his Democratic debate while running for President that he would not sell any weapons to Saudi Arabia in order to make them “pay the price” for killing Jamal Khashoggi. Now, he is being forced to meet face to face with them to ask for their help. It’s a compromising position.
“I would make it very clear we were not going to in fact sell more weapons to them,” Biden said. “We were going to in fact make them pay the price, and make them in fact the pariah that they are.” Biden also said there is “very little social redeeming value in the present government in Saudi Arabia,” and, in reference to Yemen, said he would end “end the sale of material to the Saudis where they’re going in and murdering children.”
Journalists noted that Biden was treated differently than former President Trump when arriving at the airport and only got a 2 minute greeting.
Later in the meeting, both Biden and MBS were asked about him being called “a pariah” and they both ignored it.
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Biden really got embarrassed there. Not shaking hands looks even more silly. What does this accomplish? Hopefully, he can lower the price of oil there, but as we’ve previously reported, they don’t have a lot of production capabilities left. Do you think Biden is doing a good job on his foreign trip?
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No, biden is showing weakness. I am not surprised by his welcoming, and am amazed that the Saudi's even allowed him to a meeting at all, not that I am pro Saudis. I just think biden dies not think before engaging his mouth and ty his is now an embarrassment to our country.
@KMcQuillen; Do you feel Joseph Robinette Biden can think? He is given a "cocktail" before meetings by his second wife(Jill), according to close associates! She has an EDUCATION doctorate degree, not a medical degree!
A lot of noise about the bump hand shake, its the traditional greeting in Mexico and most latino countries!
And Biden represents the AMERICAN people!
This Clown Show needs to STOP!. jo needs to stay in his basement triple masked and keep his mouth shut. He can't do ANYTHING right. He sold all our oil reserves to china; now we have to BEG our Enemies for oil. Get this guy OUT of office. He has Ruined our country in 1 year. he won't even let us use our OWN oil Wants the American people to SUFFER, while HE makes Billions in Ukraine and sends our soldiers there to get killed, when he can't even protect our OWN BORDER!!
he is wasting OUR tax money going around the world making a FOOL of himself and our country,
Notice the LILAC CARPET! This has been pointed out before, but thought it was the picture, but you clearly see in on the plane steps & outside the building where Biden arrives. This to me shows the Saudis consider him of no worth. Also this knuckle bumping is pathetic, doesn’t make a fig of difference. Mind you when Biden has been seen coughing into his hand & then shaking someone’s hand after you wouldnt want to shake it either!!! Also what a cheek going cap in hand to the Saudi’s when America is More than capable of supplying its own Oil!!! Hope Bin Salmon sends him away with a flea in his ear. As for the Kishoggi killing, there hasn’t been any proof. Who’s to say the Embassy staff took that call???