Nov 8, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Saudi king and crown prince congratulate Biden on election victory

Orion Rummler

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman sits — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his projected victory in the 2020 election on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Why it matters: The Saudi government has been one of the Trump administration's closest allies in the world, with White House adviser Jared Kushner sharing a personal friendship with MBS. Despite pressure from Congress, President Trump stuck by MBS after he was accused of ordering the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

The big picture: Trump allies around the world are gradually coming around to the reality that the election is over, even as the president refuses to concede and continues to file long-shot lawsuits over alleged voter fraud.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, another of Trump's top allies, waited more than 12 hours after U.S. networks called the presidential race to offer his congratulations to Biden.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also offered their congratulations. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have not yet commented.

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Saudi king and crown prince congratulate Biden on election victory

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