A Faustian Pact: How the Saudi Prince Bought His Redemption at the White House
The visit of the notorious Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (also known by his initials, MBS) to Washington the week of November 18, 2025, will go down in the annals of realpolitik as a masterclass in cynicism. In the opulent setting of the Oval Office, President Donald Trump offered a leader implicated in the brutal murder of a journalist the most precious gift: a public absolution. This carefully choreographed spectacle—fighter jets in formation a red carpet, warm handshakes—was anything but conventional diplomacy. It was the central transaction in a fool's bargain where Saudi Arabia, portrayed as America's cash cow,…