Saudis trumpet Trump
Saudi Arabia gives US President Donald Trump the fully rolled out red carpet treatment in hopes of getting heightened US action against Iran.
The House of Saud played Donald Trump like a fiddle on his historic visit to the kingdom, showering him in ceremony and accolades that pandered to his scandal-wracked administration's need for diversion from its own self-imposed mistakes. For the Saudis, it was also a diversion from their own blunders, especially the expensive and endless quagmire they created in Yemen.
As an absolute monarchy, the kingdom is proficient at the business of pomp and ceremony. The ornate palaces, not open to the public, provide perfect backdrops. After being severely unhappy with the last two American presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, they wanted to demonstrate their high hopes for the Trump team. The royals know that flattery will bring rewards, especially when the target is desperately seeking to be seen as competent. They expect a more aggressive approach to combating their archenemy Iran, which has outmaneuvered them from Beirut to Basra for years.
