When Biden Met M.B.S.

[0] From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi.

[1] This is the Daily.

[2] Two years ago, Joe Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a pariah state and vowed never to talk to its young leader, Muhammad bin Salman.

[3] On Friday, Biden traveled to his palace to meet him.

[4] Today, Beirut Bureau Chief Ben Hubbard on what brought Biden back to the table with the Saudi leader, and how America's relationship with the oil -rich nation has changed.

[5] It's Monday, July 18th.

[6] So, Ben, Biden has been on this trip to the Middle East over the past week, and I know he met a number of leaders throughout the region.

[7] Tell me about what happened.

[8] So this was Biden's first trip to the Middle East as president.

[9] First, he went to Israel and met with a whole range of Israeli leaders.

[10] And after that, he flew to Saudi Arabia.

[11] and this was primarily for two reasons.

[12] The first is that he is having trouble with the price of gas, obviously, and so he's looking to talk to oil producers to see what can be done to try to bring down the oil price.

[13] And second, he's concerned about Iran, and so he's looking for partners in the region he can work with to find ways to deter Iran.

[14] But this trip to Saudi Arabia was by far the most scrutinized part of the trip, and that was largely because of its host.

[15] Biden was going to be hosted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

[16] He is by far the most powerful and active person in the kingdom.

[17] And Biden had a really difficult relationship with him, a very chilly relationship since he came into the White House for a number of reasons.

[18] Biden, I think, for one, really wanted to turn the page on the Trump administration, and Donald Trump and his son -in -law and advisor, Jared Kushner, had had very chummy relationships with Prince Muhammad.

[19] Biden was interested in sort of lessening American commitment in the Middle East.

[20] He was interested in accelerating the transition to renewable energy, which didn't really need Saudi Arabia for as one of the top oil exporters.

[21] And I think personally he was also very disgusted by the Saudi human rights record.

[22] Breaking news tonight on a very dark subject, the murder of American -based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

[23] The killing of Jamal Khashoggi, who was a Saudi journalist who was killed in a very, very grisly manner by Saudi agents in 2018, was still a recent memory.

[24] Biden spoke very passionately about it during his election campaign.

[25] Kishogi was, in fact, murdered and dismembered.

[26] and I believe in the order of the Crown Prince.

[27] And largely because of that, said that if he were elected president...

[28] We were going to, in fact, make them pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are.

[29] He would treat Saudi Arabia as a pariah.

[30] Once he was in...