Biden Chafes At Suggestion He ‘Got Played’ By Saudis, Tells Tapper ‘There Will Be Consequences’ For Siding With Putin
President Joe Biden chafed when CNN host Jake Tapper invoked criticism he “got played” by the Saudis and said, “There will be consequences” for siding with Putin by cutting oil production.
The president was the first guest on the inaugural edition of CNN Tonight with Jake Tapper, during which the host quizzed Biden on a number of topics, including Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin’s “irrational” nuclear threats.
Tapper also pivoted to the Saudi Arabia-led OPEC+ decision to cut oil production “in partnership with Russia,” referencing criticism that Biden “got played” when he visited the kingdom and “fist-bumped” MBS in July.
The president objected, and went out of his way to tick through a list of non-oil-related accomplishments related to that trip, then promised consequences for siding with Russia:
TAPPER: Let’s turn to Saudi Arabia. Some of your democratic allies on Capitol Hill are afraid that the U.S. got played when you went to Saudi Arabia and fist bumped with the crowned prince. Because now, obviously a few months later, Saudi-backed OPEC is slashing oil production in partnership with Russia.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez, just called for a freeze on cooperation with Saudi Arabia including most arms sales.
Senator Durbin, the number two Democrat in the Senate, says the Saudis sided with Russia against the United States.
Do you think it’s time for the U.S. to rethink its relationship with Saudi Arabia?
BIDEN: Yes. And by the way, let’s get straight why I went. I didn’t go to when about oil. I went about making sure that we made sure that we weren’t going to walk away from the Middle East and what was going on.
And by the way, today I just got off the telephone with the president of — I got off the phone with the prime minister of Israel and the president of Lebanon. They’ve worked out a deal, they’ve been at war — declared war with one another for a long time. They’ve worked out a boundary relationship along the — in the — in the eastern Mediterranean for oil, and they’re going to make an agreement that is historic.
We also got over — flights for Israeli planes over Saudi Arabia. We got movement in terms of how we would deal in the Middle East with aggression from Iran. But it wasn’t — you know, there were eight other — there were eight other parties there. It wasn’t about — it wasn’t about oil.
TAPPER: OK, but you would —
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: But we should — we should, and I am in the process — when the House and Senate gets back, they’re going to have to — there’s going to be some consequences for what they’ve done, with Russia.
TAPPER: What kind of consequences? Menendez says suspend all arms sales. Is that something you’d consider?
BIDEN: I’m not going to get into what I’d consider and what I have in mind. But there will be — there will be consequences.
Watch above via CNN Tonight with Jake Tapper.
