President Biden shot back at reporters early Sunday for asking if he regretted his fist bump with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman after garnering criticism for appearing too chummy with the Saudi leader.
When a reporter asked the president whether he regretted fist bumping the crown prince on Friday, Biden, upon his return to the White House from Saudi Arabia, responded: “Why don’t you guys talk about something that matters? I’m happy to answer a question that matters.”
Biden’s greeting, which was disseminated by the Saudi’s, drew backlash as critics viewed the gesture as elevating Salman on the world stage despite Biden’s campaign pledge to make the Kingdom a “pariah.”
The foreign trip proved controversial for the president as U.S. intelligence officials concluded that the crown prince was involved in plotting the killing of Washington Post journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi foreign ministry quickly publicized images, alongside others of Biden shaking hands with King Salman.
Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, called the interaction between Biden and the crown prince “shameful.”
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Khashoggi, posted a mock tweet of what she thought Khashoggi would have written about the fist bump. It read: “Hey @POTUS, is this the accountability you promised for my murder? The blood of MBS’s next victim is on your hands.”
Biden and his administration spent weeks saying he would not meet with the crown prince – or that Salman would merely be in the room as part of a larger meeting with Saudi officials – but the Saudi de-factor leader greeted Biden upon his arrival at the royal palace in Jeddah, then walked with him side-by-side the next day.