‘Now he has to be nice to me’: Trump uses crude slang on Saudi prince, mixes jibe with praise
Speaking at an investment forum in Florida, Trump claimed the Saudi leadership initially underestimated his return to office, adding that the kingdom now had no choice but to cooperate closely with the United States.
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Quoting Crown Prince bin Salman, Trump said, “A year ago he said, ‘You were a dead country. Now you are literally the hottest country in the world.'”
Describing what he described as a private meeting, the US President said the crown prince praised America’s recovery under his leadership and compared it to what he called the weak phase before his presidency.
“He didn’t think this would happen. He didn’t think it would destroy me, he thought it would be another American president who lost. But now he has to be nice to me,” Trump added.
He later sharpened his rhetoric and suggested that Saudi Arabia’s stance had changed due to the renewed power of the United States in his second term, even describing the prince as a “fantastic” leader and “warrior” simultaneously.
The Gulf’s role in the Iran conflict and the attack on NATO
Trump used these statements to portray Gulf states as key partners in Washington’s ongoing military campaign against Iran, which began in late February with coordinated US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s military and nuclear facilities.
He named Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as countries that “stand with” the United States, even though these states have not officially entered the conflict as combatants.
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“Saudi Arabia fought, Qatar fought, UAE fought, Bahrain fought and Kuwait fought,” Trump said in his speech, adding that “they are on our side.”
The war has since spread across the region, with Iran launching missile and drone attacks targeting not only Israel but also Gulf states that host US military assets.
While governments in the region have largely maintained a cautious public stance, wary of escalating tensions and economic consequences, Trump has actively portrayed them as aligned with Washington’s efforts.
He contrasted this perceived support with what he described as a lack of support from NATO allies, and again expressed disappointment that they had not done more during the crisis.
Trump added, “We are very disappointed in NATO. They did not come to our aid.”
