Trump Calls ‘Fake News’ on Alleged Saudi Financial Interests…Despite Previous Boasts About the Same
In 2015, Trump boasted about his business dealings with the Saudis: “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.” pic.twitter.com/kSnx9Bjjtk
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) October 12, 2018
President Trump is calling “FAKE NEWS” on the suggestion that he’s being soft on Saudi Arabia because he doesn’t want to endanger his business interests in the region.
After trashing Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) over her effort to lay her Native American ancestry claims to rest, Trump went back to tweeting about migrant “caravans” and threatening to cut aid to Latin American countries if they aren’t stopped.
The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the U.S. is not stopped and brought back to Honduras, no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
After that, Trump went after those who have insinuated that he has gone easy on Saudi Arabia over Jamal Khashoggi‘s suspicious disappearance because he has a personal stake in not antagonizing their government.
For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
Despite Trump’s insistence to the contrary, his business organization has longstanding connections to the Saudi government and has conducted several million dollars worth of transactions with multiple officials. Washington Post has noted that Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bought a yacht and a stake in Trump’s Plaza Hotel during the 90s when Trump was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, other Saudis have purchased other pieces of real estate from him throughout the decades, and the president registered eight companies in Saudi Arabia during the 2016 election.
Trump has spoken about his Saudi Arabian ties before, one instance being a 2015 rally where he waxed on about how he gets along with them just fine.
“They buy apartments from me,” Trump said. “They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
Watch above, via C-SPAN.
[Image via screengrab]
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