President Trump Secures Massive Deal

President Donald Trump just struck a massive deal with Saudi Arabia, which has pledged to invest almost $1 trillion in the U.S. economy. The investment comes after Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in the Oval Office and agreed to strengthen U.S.-Saudi relations. The Trump Administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East continues to prove successful.

As reported by Fox News:

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman committed his country to increasing his planned investment into the U.S. economy to nearly $1 trillion over the next year on Tuesday.

MBS made the announcement while meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, saying the investments will take place across the U.S. economy. Trump initially stated that the investment would amount to “at least” $600 billion, but the Saudi leader confirmed the higher amount during his remarks.

“You’ve agreed to invest $600 billion into the United States and because he's my friend, he might make it a trillion, but I’m going to have to work on him. But it’s 600. We can count on 600 billion. But, that number could go up a little bit higher,” Trump said Tuesday.

The President mentioned how this deal will likely mean a boost for employment around the country: “That means investments in plants, in companies, money on Wall Street. And what it really means for everybody, what really counts is jobs. A lot of jobs. We have a lot of jobs.”

This raises the question: Will this deal lead to the possible future inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the Abraham Accords? President Trump said he’d brought it up with the prince and felt he’d received a positive response.

For his part, Prince bin Salman expressed a desire for peace and said he wants to join the Abraham Accords, eventually, but was reluctant to commit just yet.

As he explained during the press conference:

We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of a two-state solution. . . . We want peace for the Israelis. We want peace for the Palestinians. We want them to coexist peacefully in the region. And we will do our best to reach that deal.

It’s no secret that getting Saudi Arabia formally involved in the Abraham Accords is a long-standing diplomatic goal, but it’s not a simple one. The prince desires to see a “two-state solution,” while President Trump takes a different view of Israel’s security needs. Still, the tone between the two leaders was warm. Just hearing bin Salman publicly say he wants “peace for the Israelis” and “peace for the Palestinians” is huge. It’s not something you would have heard from Saudi Arabia 10 or 15 years ago.

But let’s be honest: A trillion-dollar investment isn’t just goodwill – it’s influence. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth is unlike anything in the West. When the Saudis decide they want to buy something, whether it’s a sports league or a studio, they can often outbid everyone. Hollywood insiders are already whispering that the Saudis may ultimately scoop up a major studio, even though public denials have been issued. This isn’t theoretical – Electronic Arts has sold a major stake, LIV Golf continues to expand, luring players from the PGA in droves. Saudi Arabia clearly wants to be a player in the West, a legitimate tourist and business destination.

President Trump framed the investment as a huge win for American jobs and technology growth. And it could be. But we have to keep both eyes open.

We welcome the idea of peace in the Middle East, but we dare not for a moment forget who we’re talking about. Saudi Arabia has not been without its controversies and human rights violations, including its ties to the 9/11 attacks – 15 of the 19hijackers were Saudis – for which the nation hasn’t truly answered, and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was a vocal critic of the crown, remains a mystery. During their meeting yesterday, President Trump dismissed accusations that bin Salman had ordered the killing.

That said, we also can’t just dig our heels in and say, “No way, we won’t work with you.” Not if peace is the ultimate goal. And this agreement could be a major step forward for everyone.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of President Trump’s historic deal with Saudi Arabia and what it could mean for the U.S., the Saudis, and the rest of the Middle East, including Israel.