The Democrats and neocons don’t understand the Middle East, Donald Trump does

When it comes to America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, the difference between Donald Trump’s warm embrace and Joe Biden’s cold shoulder from the kingdom speaks volumes. The contrasting receptions each president received reflect not just personal dynamics but a deeper divide in how U.S. foreign policy is perceived in the Middle East. While President Trump was greeted with pomp and pageantry, President Biden’s visit was marked by a palpable chill—a direct result of the Democrats’ undermining of the U.S.-Saudi partnership and their failure to grasp the region’s emphasis on sovereignty. Trump’s speech this week in Riyadh, where he championed Middle Eastern nations’ right to chart their own destinies, resonated deeply with Arabs and their leaders, exposing a blind spot in the neoconservative and Democratic worldview that continues to alienate key allies.

President Donald Trump landed in Riyadh to a lavish reception that echoed his 2017 visit, where his likeness was projected onto the Ritz-Carlton and he was honored with a traditional sword dance. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted Trump personally, flanked by the royal court, as the kingdom rolled out the red carpet for a leader they view as a transactional partner and friend. The visit culminated in a $600 billion investment deal, including $142 billion in defense agreements, signaling a “new golden era” of U.S.-Saudi partnership. Posts on X captured the sentiment: “The Crown Prince is waiting for Trump with the entire royal court,” a stark contrast to Biden’s experience.

Back in 2022, Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia was a study in diplomatic frostiness. Greeted not by the Crown Prince but by a local official, Biden had to travel to meet Mohammed bin Salman, who notably avoided a handshake, opting instead for a fist bump that was widely interpreted as a snub. Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to increase oil production despite Biden’s pleas further underscored the strained ties. This cold reception wasn’t just personal; it was the culmination of years of Democratic policies that eroded the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

The Democrats’ approach to Saudi Arabia has been marked by moral posturing and strategic missteps that alienated a crucial ally. During his 2020 campaign, Biden vowed to treat Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a stance that resonated with progressive voters but rankled Saudi leadership. Once in office, Biden’s administration condemned the Crown Prince’s actions while simultaneously granting him immunity from a U.S. civil lawsuit, exposing a contradictory policy that pleased neither side. The pause on precision-guided munitions sales to Saudi Arabia, driven by concerns over the Yemen conflict, further strained ties, leaving the Saudis feeling unsupported against regional threats like Iran.

This approach stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s pragmatic, business-oriented diplomacy. Trump’s first foreign trip as president in 2017 was to Riyadh, where he assured the Arabs he would not lecture them on governance or push for democratization—a promise he reiterated this week. His administration backed Saudi Arabia’s regional stance, particularly against Iran, and facilitated massive arms deals that bolstered the kingdom’s security. The Saudis, in turn, rewarded Trump with economic commitments and a seat at the center of his Middle East strategy, including hosting Ukraine-Russia peace talks. The Democrats’ focus on human rights critiques, without offering tangible security or economic incentives, left Saudi Arabia questioning America’s reliability as a partner.

This week’s speech at a Saudi investment forum, Trump struck a chord that reverberated across the Middle East. He praised the region’s transformation, declaring, “The people that are right here, the people that have lived here all their lives, developing your own sovereign countries, pursuing your own unique visions, and charting your own destinies in your own way.” He explicitly rejected the influence of “nation builders, neocons, or liberal nonprofits” who, he argued, spent trillions failing to reshape the region in the West’s image.

This message of sovereignty is a longstanding Arab grievance that both neoconservatives and Democrats have consistently overlooked. For decades, Middle Eastern leaders, as well as the average Arab on the street, have bristled at Western interventions—whether military invasions like Iraq or soft power pushes for democratization—that disregard local realities. Trump’s rejection of this approach aligns with the region’s desire for self-determination, free from external lectures or regime-change agendas. As he put it, the “modern miracle” of cities like Riyadh and Abu Dhabi was achieved “the Arabian way,” not through Western blueprints.

Neoconservatives, with their focus on spreading democracy through force, and Democrats, with their emphasis on human rights over strategic pragmatism, fail to grasp this critical point. The neocons’ legacy of costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan left the U.S. with little to show but chaos, while Democratic moralizing often comes across as hypocritical when paired with continued arms sales or immunity grants. Trump’s speech, by contrast, acknowledged the region’s agency, earning him goodwill where others faltered.

The stark contrast between Trump’s warm Saudi welcome and Biden’s diplomatic snub is more than a tale of two presidents—it’s a lesson in the power of respect, pragmatism, and understanding sovereignty. Trump’s ability to secure massive investments and restore the U.S.-Saudi partnership underscores the value of treating allies as equals, not subjects to be lectured. His speech this week, championing Middle Eastern nations’ right to shape their own futures, tapped into a deep-seated regional aspiration that neocons and Democrats have long ignored. By prioritizing economic deals and security cooperation over ideological crusades, Trump has not only repaired the damage done by Democratic missteps but also set a new standard for U.S. engagement in the region.

As America looks to the future, the Saudi example offers a clear path forward: respect the sovereignty of allies, focus on mutual prosperity, and leave the nation-building to history’s dustbin. With Trump at the helm, the U.S.-Saudi relationship is once again a beacon of strength, wrapped neatly in a bow of shared interests and mutual respect. The Middle East, and the world, is watching—and they like what they see.