First Lady Melania Trump drew immediate attention on Tuesday night when she stepped into the East Room, joining U.S. President Donald Trump in hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a formal White House dinner.
The first lady wore a deep green dress, matching the color of the Saudi flag.
Her choice of dress stood out at the event designed to spotlight strengthened ties between Washington and Riyadh.
Highlights
- Melania Trump wore a deep green gown matching the Saudi flag during a White House dinner honoring Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- The U.S. designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally and signed a new strategic defense pact with the kingdom.
- The White House event included high-profile guests like Elon Musk, Cristiano Ronaldo, and senior U.S. officials.
- Trump confirmed the U.S. would sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, maintaining its military advantage over Israel.
Melania Trump wore a deep green dress matching the color of the Saudi flag as Trump hosted the Saudi Crown Prince
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Earlier yesterday, Trump confirmed that the United States would designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally. He also revealed a new strategic defense agreement had been signed with the kingdom and praised the crown prince for pledging up to $1 trillion in U.S. investments.
“Key achievements include the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, advancements in critical minerals cooperation, and an AI Memorandum of Understanding,” the White House said in a statement.
The East Room was arranged with three long banquet tables decorated in green and white, echoing both the first lady’s gown and the Saudi color palette.
The dinner guest list included major business leaders and political figures. Elon Musk appeared at the White House for the first time since his June falling-out with the president.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined the event, along with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Donald Trump Jr.
The visit unfolded during a politically tense week in Washington. Earlier in the day, the United States House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Both chambers of Congress voted to release government files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The measure now heads to Trump’s desk, and he is expected to sign it.
The afternoon had already witnessed a confrontation during a press conference at the White House.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Trump erupted in anger when ABC News' chief White House correspondent, Mary Bruce, raised questions about Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 terror attacks and asked MBS about the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
A team of 15 Saudi agents is alleged to have assassinated Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Trump sat beside MBS and labeled Khashoggi as “controversial,” insisting the crown prince had no participation in the journalist’s death.
The statement is at odds with a 2021 U.S. intelligence report that concluded that “Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”
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“You’re mentioning someone that was extremely controversial,” Trump shot back at Bruce. “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen.”
“But he [MBS] knew nothing about it,” Trump said, defending the crown prince. “You don’t have to embarrass our guests.”
When Bruce shifted to a question about the Epstein files, Trump sharply criticized her tone, calling her “a terrible reporter” and ABC News a “crappy company” before demanding its broadcast license be revoked.
Trump defended MBS over his alleged involvement in the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi
MBS responded briefly, calling Khashoggi’s death painful and saying Saudi Arabia had taken steps to prevent a similar event from occurring again.
Outside critics reacted quickly to the day’s events. Democratic Rep Ro Khanna, who pushed for the Epstein bill along with Republican Thomas Massie, criticized Trump’s meeting with the Saudi prince.
“Right now, Trump is meeting the Saudi prince MBS,” Khanna said at a press conference on Tuesday.
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“That's not America First to me, America First means meeting with Epstein survivors to make sure American girls will not be raped.”
Trump critic Bill Kristol commented on Trump’s welcome for MBS, which included a military flyover and a parade of horses.
“With the coincidence this afternoon of the vote in the House of Representatives and the visit of MBS to the White House, it feels like a clarifying moment: On one side, Trump, Epstein and MBS. On the other, those who respect decency and honor humanity.”
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Inside the White House, the two leaders discussed Saudi Arabia-Israel relations and the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords that establish formal relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
However, MBS emphasized that Saudi Arabia would want to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a potential agreement.
Trump also confirmed the sale of F-35 fighter jets, the most advanced U.S. fighter jets, to the kingdom.
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
During the meeting with MBS, Trump clarified the jets would not be downgraded under the U.S. ‘qualitative military edge’ policy. “They’d [Israel] like you to get planes of reduced caliber. I don’t think that makes you too happy,” Trump told the Saudi crown prince.
Trump had visited Saudi Arabia in May for the first state visit of his second term.
He was welcomed with elaborate pageantry, a fighter jet escort, an honor guard with golden swords, along with a fleet of horses that accompanied Trump to his limousine.