US Senator: Trump’s reception of bin Salman is betrayal

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (YPA) – Senator Bernie Sanders sharply criticized President Donald Trump, condemning the warm welcome given to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to the White House.

In a video he posted, Sanders described bin Salman as a “dictator” and a “murderer,” saying that the reception was a “betrayal of what this country is supposed to stand for” and a “deplorable situation.”

Sanders pointed to bin Salman’s human rights record, emphasizing his responsibility for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to US intelligence, and the execution of hundreds of people within Saudi Arabia, in addition to restricting women’s rights and freedom of dissent.

The Democratic senator warned against the messages Trump sends to the world by describing bin Salman as “a good and wonderful friend of Trump,” asserting that this reflects US support for dictatorships and is anti-democratic.

Sanders also criticized the lavish dinner Trump hosted at the White House, which brought together bin Salman with some of America’s wealthiest figures, such as Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, describing the meeting as an “oligarchic summit” aimed at “dividing the world for the benefit of the elite” and “waging war on democracy.”

Sanders concluded his statement by affirming his continued struggle to defend democracy and confront the growing influence of the oligarchy, referring to the domestic and foreign policies of the American president.