9/11 Widow Calls Biden’s Handshake With Saudi Crown Prince ‘A Slap In the Face’
The national chair of 9/11 Families United ripped President Joe Biden on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, two days after he shook hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, as was Osama bin Laden, who orchestrated the attack. The Saudi government has denied involvement in, or knowledge of the attack, though there are indications to the contrary. Despite this, successive presidential administrations have maintained friendly relations with the kingdom, which sits atop vast pools of oil.
On Saturday, Biden shook hands with bin Salman at the G-20 summit in India. Then on Monday – the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks – a White House spokesperson tweeted an ill-timed tweet touting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a Biden infrastructure initiative.
Terry Strada, who lost her husband in the attacks and leads 9/11 Families United, appeared on Monday’s edition of The Lead, where she expressed her disgust.
“Joe Biden, as a presidential candidate, swore that he would make Saudi Arabia a ‘pariah‘ nation for that and for other reasons,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said. “Yet, look at this photo from two days ago at the G-20. President Biden’s smiling and shaking hands with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who according to U.S. intelligence, ordered the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamaal Khashoggi,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said. “And today – of all days – the White House on Twitter or X I guess it’s called now, the White House touting the Saudis’ commitment to spend $20 billion on Biden’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure. What was your reaction seeing those images?”
“Well, that photo was a slap in the face to all of the 9/11 families and survivors, to see our president smiling at MBS, who is the man– the country that we are suing in the courtrooms in Lower Manhattan for giving all the money that he was needed, everything that built up Al Qaeda with Osama bin Laden and for the 9/11 attacks,” she responded. “So, the photo was extremely upsetting.”
She later claimed Khashoggi was murdered partly because he “was a potential witness for the 9/11 families” and was speaking with their attorneys.
“I did not know that,” Tapper replied.
Watch above via CNN.
