JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – President Joe Biden’s fist bump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was drawing criticism even before his meeting with the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia concluded on Friday.
U.S. intelligence agencies said the the crown prince, known as MBS, ordered the 2018 killing of journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi.
President Biden says he raised the issue of the murder of Khashoggi with the Crown Prince during their meeting. Biden says bin Salman denied responsibility but Biden said he believes U.S. intelligence.
Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancee, tweeted a screen shot imagining what he would have said in response to the meeting, reading “the blood of MBS’s next victim is on your hands.”
California Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said “One fist bump is worth a thousand words.”
He added: “If we ever needed a visual reminder of the continuing grip oil-rich autocrats have on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we got it today.”
The fist bump marked the first time Biden has met the crown prince since he took office. The brief encounter, which was captured by Saudi television, occurred as Biden stepped out of his presidential limousine after landing in the Red Sea city of Jeddah from Israel.
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