President Joe Biden’s no good, very bad week touring the Middle East ended in the wee hours of Sunday morning after he stepped off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. This trip was full of foreign policy mistakes, confusion and gaffes.
The result was humiliation. Biden didn’t want to be asked about this upon his return. To address the now-infamous fist bump with Saudi Crown Princess Mohammed Bin Salman, reporters began to gather on the asphalt. That led to a tense scene, where the president once again lashed out, something he’s become very prone to do when he gets a question he doesn’t like.
REPORTER: “Do you regret the fist bump, Mr. President?”
JOE BIDEN: “Why don’t you guys talk about something that matters? I’m happy to answer a question that matters.” pic.twitter.com/yUnl1N3VA7
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 17, 2022
On the contrary, I’m pretty sure the President of the United States being humiliated on the international stage matters, and I’m not just talking about the fist bump. Saudi Arabia, a nation that is ruled by a monarchial dictatorship, has many flaws. Although no one suggests otherwise, the geopolitics of the situation are difficult and US interest, particularly in energy, has dictated that the Saudis have been working with them for years.
Unfortunately, Biden brings with him one of the worst foreign policy records in history, having been wrong about essentially every major decision and proclamation he’s made over the last half-century. Upon taking office, he quickly moved to make the Saudis a “pariah,” pledging to not meet with its leaders while instead trying to appease Iran. This ill-advised course has only led to higher oil prices and harm to US interests in Middle East.
Biden’s missteps are causing problems for the Saudis. They have decided to build on the Abraham Accords that were successful under Donald Trump. The US lost all its influence and power in the region. This was in vain to please those obsessed about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. Jamal Khashoggi is a Washington Post journalist who has a long history with jihadism.
That’s what makes the president’s trip to Saudi Arabia all the more perplexing. Biden and his associates believed that he could simply show up in his current physical and mental condition and make the Saudis happy. They quickly dismissed the idea if they believed it.
The grueling experience was summarized when Biden arrived at Mecca to be greeted only by the mayor. It was his first major power move. MBS got Biden on camera to fist bump him even though he had for years insisted he would punish Saudis for Khashoggi’s murder. This caused a commotion in the US media immediately and cast a shadow over the entire trip. To make things worse, it appeared that the US president was also tricked into exonerating MBS at a subsequent meeting. Perhaps most important, Biden did not receive a single concession despite his trip to Saudi Arabia.
You are starting to see the pattern? The humiliation here wasn’t by sheer chance. Saudi Arabia had carefully planned it, and Biden happily fell for the trap. It is another ineptitude of 50 years. Why didn’t his handlers see this coming?
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