Joe Biden, who referred to Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” during the 2020 presidential campaign for the royal family’s alleged involvement in the murder of a Washington Post contributor, arrived in Jeddah on the second stop of his Middle East trip.
As soon as he stepped out of the limo, he probably wished he had stayed home. He was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the head of the Saudi government, and instead of shaking hands, Biden gave the crown prince a playful fist bump.
In a desperate attempt to avoid shaking MBS’s hand in Saudi Arabia, Joe Biden went with the fist bump instead. pic.twitter.com/TAIIUQ6RsM
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 15, 2022
Needless to say, those who hold a grudge against MBS, as the crown prince is referred to, were none too pleased.
The exchange prompted immediate backlash from human rights activists who criticized Biden for offering what they called too-friendly of a greeting to the crown prince. The president also received criticism from Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan, who called the fist bump “shameful.”
“The fist bump between President Biden and Mohammed bin Salman was worse than a handshake — it was shameful,” Ryan said in a statement. “It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption he has been desperately seeking.”
Who in Biden’s circle came up with the notion that a fist bump would be better than a handshake? They should be fired immediately. The Post publisher is absolutely right; the signal sent by bumping fists with the man who ordered the extra-judicial killing of a journalist is unacceptable.
Related: Macron Buttonholes Biden, Delivers Bad Oil News in Front of International Media
But Biden needs to stay in the good graces of MBS if he’s going to convince the Saudi leader to open the oil spigot and let it flow. He couldn’t very well snub him completely. Biden is in the Kingdom for a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council and because the Saudis are the hosts, the formalities must be observed.
Biden didn’t catch MBS by surprise with his fist bump. It was choreographed long in advance and was probably a subject of negotiations. The Saudis wanted to humiliate the man who referred to their crown prince as a “pariah” by forcing him to shake hands before the entire world. The United States didn’t want to seem as if it was business as usual.
Utter failure on Biden’s part.
What Jamal Khashoggi would tweet today: pic.twitter.com/Gv4Up7TLgd
— Hatice Cengiz / خديجة (@mercan_resifi) July 15, 2022
Like I said, fire the guy who came up with the fist bump idea.
Would love to have been in the “a fist bump is a better look” meeting. https://t.co/BemEV7lU2W
— Doug Heye (@DougHeye) July 15, 2022
This is the bottom line, and you can bet the Saudis are milking this for all they’re worth.
Also important to note that whether it's a a fist bump or a handshake, MBS still gets what he's longed for: a very public display of validation by the leader of the free world.
— Cleve R. Wootson Jr. (@CleveWootson) July 15, 2022
Mr Biden insisted after his meeting with the crown prince that he had raised the issue of Khashoggi’s killing, and his understanding of Mohammed bin Salman’s part in it.
Which brings us back to the photograph. Deeds versus words. A picture that will define this visit – everything the Saudis could have hoped for.
It told a tale of a nation rehabilitated; a strategic partnership renewed. Regardless of what was discussed in the meeting, whatever successes or failures there were, the world has an enduring image to remember it by. One which illustrates a direct course change by Mr Biden.
Biden has himself to blame for this course change. The president’s war on the fossil fuel industry has led to this humiliating spectacle of a United States president coming hat in hand to a murdering tyrant and begging for a little more oil.
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