Global Opinions

Trumps bizarre and un-

American visit to Saudi
Arabia
By Anne Applebaum May 21

BeforehemovesontoIsraelandthentoEurope,beforeweareconsumedbythenextscandalandforget,hereisalist,forthe
record,ofjustafewofthewaysinwhichPresidentTrumpstriptoSaudiArabiawasbizarre,unseemly,unethicalandun
American.

1.Itwasaverystrangechoiceforafirsttripabroad.ThepastfourAmericanpresidents,two
RepublicansandtwoDemocrats,madetheirfirsttripstoeitherMexicoandCanada,
countriesthatareclosetradingpartners,closeallies,compatibledemocraciesandofcourse
neighbors.Trumpchose,instead,tomakehisfirstpresidentialvisittoanoligarchic
kleptocracywhichforceswomentohidetheirfacesandforbidsthemtotravelwithoutamale
guardianspermission.

2.ItwasaverystrangeplacetospeakoutagainstIslamistextremism.AlthoughSaudiArabia
isafraidofsomeformsofIslamistextremism,itsupportsothers.SaudiArabiasponsors
extremistWahabimosquesandimamsallovertheworldOsamabinLadenwasaSaudi
citizen,aswere15ofthe199/11hijackers.

3.Thesworddance.EveryAmericanpresidenthasmetwithhisSaudicounterparts,andof
coursethestabilityofSaudiArabia,aswellasitsoil,isanimportantU.S.securityconcern.
ButuntilnowAmericanpresidentsmadeitclearthat,whilewehavetodealwithSaudi
leaders,wedontendorsetheirculture.Trump,SecretaryofStateRexTillersonandothersin
thedelegationdidexactlythat,byparticipatinginthissinisterallmaledance.

4.IvankaTrumpsoutreachtowomenentrepreneuers.Saudiwomenmustcovertheirheads
andoftentheirfaces.Theycannotdrivecars,cannot(seeabove)travelwithoutthe
permissionofmaleguardiansandaredeprivedoflegalrightsandeducation.Inthatcontext,
 IvankaTrumpspromotionoffemaleentrepreneurslookedlikeacynicalpublicrelations
gambit,whichofcourseitwas.TheannouncementthatSaudiArabiaandtheUnitedArab
Emirateswilldonatemoneytoherfundwasapaytoplayfarmoreblatantthananything
HillaryClintoneverdreamedof.

5.TillersontalkingabouthumanrightsinIran.Yes,Americansareoftenhypocriticalabout
whereandwhentheypromotehumanrights.ButtodenouncehumanrightsinIranwhile
standinginSaudiArabia,aplacewherethereisnopoliticalfreedomandnoreligious
freedom,broughthypocrisytoawholenewlevel.Betternottohavesaidanythingatall.

6.Tillersonholdinganewsconferenceforforeignpressonly.TheU.S.presscorpswasnot
invited.PresumablythiswasbecausetheWhiteHousedoesntwantAmericanstofindout
whatthepresidentwasdoinginSaudiArabia?

NowontoJerusalemandtheVatican.

Anne Applebaum writes a biweekly foreign aairs column for The Washington Post. Follow @anneapplebaum