Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, responding to criticism from The Washington Post regarding his comments about Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in Saudi Arabia, gave a lesson on how a realistic American foreign policy works.
The Post slammed Pompeo for describing Khashogi as an “activist” rather than a journalist in his new book, “Never Give an Inch.” “He didn’t deserve to die, but we need to be clear about who he was — and too many in the media were not,” Pompeo wrote. On Tuesday, the publisher of the Washington Post, Fred Ryan, <a href="https://twitter.com/WashPostPR/status/1617918861231394818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snapped</a>, “It is shameful that Pompeo would spread vile falsehoods to dishonor a courageous man’s life and service — and his commitment to principles Americans hold dear — as a ploy to sell books.”
“Americans are safer because we didn’t label Saudi Arabia a pariah state,” Pompeo <a href="https://twitter.com/mikepompeo/status/1617957497440178176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired back.</a> “I never let the media bully me. Just b/c someone is a part-time stringer for WaPo doesn’t make their life more important than our military serving in dangerous places protecting us all. I never forgot that.”
The Jerusalem Post published an <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/the-antisemitic-tweets-of-murdered-saudi-writer-jamal-khashoggi-586820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> regarding Khashoggi&#8217;s political machinations in April 2019.
Speaking on the Ben Shapiro Show, Pompeo elaborated on the Khashoggi brouhaha and his view of how American foreign policy should be conducted.
“This is a classic example of how we thought in the Trump administration about what we thought about the world,”he began. “It was about making sure we kept America secure. And so Saudi folks went to Turkey, murdered Jamal Khashoggi: fact. We accepted that as fact, but it doesn’t change the fundamental requirement to protect America. And so I was in the middle of this; I went in and told the president, ‘The Washington Post is having a field day; The New York Times is going crazy; the Left is telling the story about Jamal Khashoggi as an American hero when in fact it is a lot more complicated than that.’”
“But second, and most importantly, we needed them as a security partner and we need them as an energy and economic partner as well and we certainly didn’t want to hand over the kingdom to the Chinese,&#8221; he added. “And so that series of understandings caused me to be sent by the president to travel, to meet with Mohammed Bin Salman to express our anger at what had happened, right? Nobody likes a murder of anyone. But to make clear that the United States and the kingdom were going to continue to be partners. And I took a lot of — what’s the right word, crap? — for that personally. But we made the fundamentally right decision.”
“And I think you can see what President Biden tried to do when he declared Mohammed Bin Salman a pariah wasn’t in America’s best interests,&#8221; he added.
“And so we will have to, more broadly, deal with characters all around the world who have systems that are fundamentally different than ours, but when they are working on things that are in America’s best interests,” he explained. “I talked about this in ‘Never Give an Inch.’ I worked on a project with the Russians. We took down a terror plot in St. Petersburg. So you could say, ‘Why do we care about that?’”
“The answer is there were Americans in St. Petersburg, and we, when I was director of CIA, we had intelligence, we handed it to the Russians; they took down the plot and we saved American lives,” he recalled. “It doesn’t mean we admire Vladimir Putin’s value set; it simply means that you have to be real about the things that matter to the American people.”
He concluded:
<blockquote>
And the inverse, Ben, and I’ll close with this thought, I wrote about this a lot in the book: Sometimes your friends really aren’t your friends either. Take a look at what’s happening in Europe today: We told the Germans: You rely on Russian gas bad things will happen. &#8230;Didn’t know what, didn’t know how, but in the end we were spot-on about that. So we delivered hard messages to NATO, hard messages to the Germans and the French saying you have to get serious about securing your own sovereignty. They rejected that and now you can see the Ukraine civilians are paying a price for that.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost</a> says <a href="https://twitter.com/mikepompeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mikepompeo</a>&#39;s comments on Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia are &quot;shameful.&quot;
He joined my show to discuss the controversy and the Trump administration&#39;s approach to Saudi Arabia. <a href="https://t.co/ZqILOqJeyI">pic.twitter.com/ZqILOqJeyI</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1617995606299115520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pennsylvania Senate Candidate David McCormick Holds Campaign Event With Mike Pompeo

‘You Have To Be Real’: Mike Pompeo Gives Clear Lesson On Foreign Policy

Mike Pompeo Gives Clear Lesson On Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy

Mike Pompeo

Politics

Saudi Arabia

U.S.

Washinton Post

A former <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> employee was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after he was convicted of accepting bribes and providing user data to Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Royal Family, the <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice Department</a> announced on Thursday. Senior United States District Judge Edward M. Chen delivered the sentence.
United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, National Security Division Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olson, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp stated that <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/former-twitter-employee-sentenced-42-months-federal-prison-acting-foreign-agent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ahmad Abouammo</a>, 45, who worked as a media partnerships manager for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, had assisted in &#8220;accessing, monitoring, and conveying confidential and sensitive information that could be used to identify and locate Twitter users of interest to the Saudi Royal Family.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DOJ: “Former Twitter Employee Sentenced to 42 Months for Acting as a Foreign Agent. Defendant Was Convicted After Trial for Participating in Fraudulent Scheme to Access, Monitor, and Convey User Info to Saudi Royal Family &amp; The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”<a href="https://t.co/WslHd34Qiv">https://t.co/WslHd34Qiv</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vz7SaVjRXr">pic.twitter.com/Vz7SaVjRXr</a>
&mdash; Jerry Christmas 🎅🏼🎄 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1603457565211430919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During Abouammo&#8217;s two-week trial, the prosecution laid out evidence that the former Walnut Creek, California, resident had begun accepting bribes as far back as late 2014 from an official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) — and without disclosing any of the gifts in accordance with Twitter rules, he had accessed sensitive user data in order to share information on political dissidents and critics of the Royal Family.
According to the DOJ report, the former Twitter employee had also lied about his involvement in the scheme when the FBI questioned him about it in 2018 — even providing authorities with a fake invoice supposedly accounting for payment he received from a Saudi official.
Some of the bribes Abouammo was convicted of receiving were a Hublot watch, valued at over $40,000, and two separate payments of $100,000, deposited in a Lebanese bank account in Abouammo&#8217;s father&#8217;s name — but that he was able to access.
&#8220;This case revealed that foreign governments will bribe insiders to obtain the user information that is collected and stored by our Silicon Valley social media companies,” U.S. Attorney Hinds said after the sentence was handed down, noting that Abouammo had been working with another person, but that person had fled the country to avoid prosecution.
“The Court emphasized that defendant shared the user information with a foreign government known for not tolerating dissidents, and he did so working with his even more culpable co-defendant who fled the country rather than face trial. This sentence sends a message to insiders with access to user information to safeguard it, particularly from repressive regimes, or risk significant time in prison,&#8221; she said.
In addition to his 42-month sentence, Judge Chen ordered Abouammo to consent to a subsequent three years of supervised release and forfeit assets in the amount of $242,000 to account for the direct payments and the watch.

In this photo illustration, the United States Department of

Ex-Twitter Employee Gets Jail Time For Helping Saudis Gain Access To User Data

Big Tech

Social Media

Twitter

World

Canary CEO Dan Eberhart pinned low oil production on <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> policies intended to accelerate a rapid pivot toward renewable <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a>.
The executive of the oilfield services company said during an <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/oil-industry-exec-rips-biden-admin-throwing-wet-blankets-energy-hurting-pocketbooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo that regulations and idealism regarding the energy transition have decreased output and worsened inflationary pressures for households.
&#8220;The administration just keeps throwing wet blankets at the industry, death by a thousand cuts,&#8221; Eberhart remarked, noting that production has declined 10% since the Trump administration despite higher oil prices. “Why is that? Because the administration is not being helpful and not trying to increase supply, and it&#8217;s hurting consumers and they just don&#8217;t seem to care.&#8221;
Biden has emphasized green energy while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-severely-cuts-back-on-oil-and-gas-leases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leasing less federal land</a> for oil and gas drilling than any administration since the end of World War II. Soon after his inauguration, Biden also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/keystone-pipeline-dead-killed-by-biden-thousands-of-jobs-lost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discontinued</a> expansions to the Keystone XL pipeline project. The administration began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-release-more-oil-from-strategic-reserve-ahead-of-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">releasing</a> 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a stock of emergency crude oil created to manage supply disruptions in energy markets, earlier this year.
&#8220;President Biden has canceled the offshore lease auctions,” Eberhart added. “He stopped fracking on federal land and the permitting process, which is really what&#8217;s important, not the leases, the permits are coming out of the administration much slower than they were out of the Trump administration.”
Democrats have contended that windfall profits in the fossil fuel sector are attributable to corporate price gouging rather than supply constraints. Some lawmakers in the state of California are attempting to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-moves-to-limit-oil-company-profits-in-energy-strapped-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduce</a> a price gouging penalty; member states of the European Union are likewise preparing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits">tax</a> surplus oil and gas revenues.
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry remarked during a Thursday <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2022/12/08/this-is-climate-us-climate-agenda/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with The Washington Post that the energy transition is not occurring “fast enough,” claiming that policymakers can no longer “run around and do one bespoke deal here, another bespoke deal there.” Eberhart called the sentiment tone-deaf, particularly given current recessionary risks.
&#8220;I think what he said is preposterous,&#8221; he reacted. &#8220;I&#8217;d like to see economic growth six times faster, and I&#8217;d like to see construction projects happen 20 times faster. But, look, there&#8217;s a difference between politicians and business, and business can only produce so much. And we&#8217;ve got to move incrementally. We&#8217;ve got to get done what we can get done.”
The White House has also been the subject of criticism for soliciting higher oil output abroad while suppressing production domestically. The government of Saudi Arabia revealed the commander-in-chief requested that OPEC refrain from cutting oil production until after the midterm elections. More recently, he began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-ease-sanctions-on-socialist-venezuela-releases-maduros-convicted-narco-trafficker-nephews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">easing sanctions</a> on Venezuela so that Chevron, an American oil company, could resume production in the socialist nation.
&#8220;The government should really focus on helping America and helping America&#8217;s national security position and helping American consumers,&#8221; Eberhart said. &#8220;The Biden administration, they&#8217;re not looking to Texas and North Dakota for more oil. They&#8217;re looking to Venezuela, they&#8217;re looking to Saudi Arabia. I think it&#8217;s absolutely ridiculous being in the oil industry. It absolutely drives me crazy that they don&#8217;t look to Texas for more oil, to North Dakota for oil.&#8221;

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Preserving And Protecting Democracy

‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’: Oil Executive Details How Biden Is A Drag On The Industry

Oil Executive Explains How Biden Is A Drag On The Industry

Biden Administration

Energy

Oil and Gas

Venezuela

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/saudi-crown-prince-muhammad-bin-salmans-full-remarks-on-iran-revealed-after-the-atlantic-edited-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mohammed bin Salman</a> helped broker the dramatic prisoner swap between the U.S. and Moscow that sprang WNBA star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-star-brittney-griner-freed-from-russian-prison-in-swap-for-arms-dealer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brittney Griner</a> from a Russian gulag, days after the Biden administration helped spike a lawsuit against the Saudi ruler.
MBS, as the Saudi leader is known, and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed “led mediation efforts” between the two nations whose diplomatic ties have been badly frayed by the war in Ukraine, according to Arab News. Griner was traded for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who plotted to help South American terrorists attack the U.S.
“The ministries said the success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship between their two countries and the United States and Russia,” read a joint statement from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. “They also highlighted the important role played by the leaderships of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaudiArabia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaudiArabia</a>’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UAE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UAE</a> President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed led mediation efforts to release US, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Russian</a> prisoners — joint statement<a href="https://t.co/HJ6hgi3XFT">https://t.co/HJ6hgi3XFT</a> <a href="https://t.co/UmfegX8ZDk">pic.twitter.com/UmfegX8ZDk</a>
&mdash; Arab News (@arabnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/arabnews/status/1600859746075975681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Joe Biden did not mention details of the negotiation in a Thursday morning announcement of the swap in which he condemned Russia’s handling of Griner, who was arrested February 17 after being caught with marijuana vaping materials at a Moscow airport.
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7205">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA’S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US.</a>
“[Griner] endured mistreatment at a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity. She represents the best America &#8211; the best about America,” Biden said from the White House, where he was joined by Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner.
U.S. officials did not directly confirm the role of MBS in securing Griner’s release
“In the course of getting to this happy result with respect to Brittney, and in the course of working to secure the release of Paul, as we continue to do, we have and I&#8217;m sure we&#8217;ll continue to lean on partners around the world to work this through with us, to give us their ideas, and to impress upon the Russians how important it is to us to resolve these sorts of cases,” a senior administration official told The Associated Press. “And we appreciate when those partners do help us. And I&#8217;ll leave it there.”
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Biden administration have been strained, but Biden last week said MBS could not be sued in U.S. courts for his alleged role in ordering the 2018 murder and dismemberment inside a Turkish consulate of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and ardent critic of the Saudi ruler. Khashoggi’s widow had sued MBS in Washington, D.C., federal court.
“Mohammed bin Salmon, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the sitting head of government and, accordingly, is immune from this suit,” read a motion filed last week by the Department of Justice.
District of Columbia District Judge John Bates said on Tuesday that he had no choice but to dismiss the case despite what he said were “credible allegations of his involvement in Khashoggi’s murder.”
It was not known if the Biden administration’s move to shield MBS affected the Saudi leader’s role in brokering the prisoner swap.
The U.S. had hoped to win the release of Paul Whelan, a Michigan man and former Marine jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that the U.S. government said are baseless. But the deal set to be announced on Thursday was a one-for-one, sources said.
Whelan’s brother, David Welan, said in a statement that his family is “glad that Brittney Griner is on her way home,” but said the family remains heartbroken that Paul Whelan remains imprisoned.
“Despite the possibility that there might be an exchange without Paul, our family is still devastated,” David Whelan said. “I can’t even fathom how Paul will feel when he learns. Paul has worked so hard to survive nearly 4 years of this injustice. His hopes had soared with the knowledge that the US government was taking concrete steps for once towards his release. He’d been worrying about where he’d live when he got back to the U.S.”
Bout, a Russian national with ties to President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on terrorism charges in 2008 by Thai police working with U.S. authorities and Interpol. He was extradited to the U.S. in 2010 and later convicted in Manhattan federal court of smuggling arms including anti-aircraft missiles to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for use against U.S. forces. He was serving a minimum of 25 years in prison at the federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois.

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman

Saudi Leader MBS Helped Broker Brittney Griner Swap After White House Ended Khashoggi Suit

Brittney Griner

Russia

A ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee is launching a broad probe into reports of President Joe Biden&#8217;s &#8220;secret deal&#8221; with Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is calling on leaders at the Department of Energy (DOE), State Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to explain Biden&#8217;s strategy.
&#8220;The Committee is investigating reports of a &#8216;secret deal to boost oil production&#8217; between the Biden Administration and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,&#8221; Comer wrote in a <a href="https://republicans-oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022-12-4-Saudi-Secret-Deal.pdf">letter</a> to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, citing a New York Times article from October.
“If his Administration is engaging in backdoor market manipulations with adversarial nations while jeopardizing our national security for the sake of securing more favorable election conditions for Democrats, the American people have a right to know,” he continued.
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA’S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US.</a>
The information was requested by December 19.
Comer is expected to become the chair of the House Oversight Committee when Republicans return to the majority in the House next year. Along with other GOP leaders, the congressman is concerned about an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/25/us/politics/us-saudi-oil-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged effort</a> with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and other OPEC+ nations to cut oil production by two million barrels per day in October.
American gas prices began climbing shortly afterward ahead of the midterms.
“Since day one in office, President Biden has waged war on American-made energy and driven up costs for Americans,&#8221; Comer <a href="https://republicans-oversight.house.gov/release/comer-presses-for-docs-about-president-bidens-energy-crisis-secret-deal-with-saudi-arabia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;President Biden has unilaterally shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, implemented a moratorium on oil and gas production on federal lands, drained critical oil reserves, and pushed policies that directly resulted in skyrocketing energy prices. With one-party Democrat rule in Washington, they’ve weaponized their unchecked power, waged a war against American-made energy production, and forced Green New Deal policies on the American people.”
“Oversight Republicans have pushed senior Biden Administration officials for answers and will continue to seek their plans to reverse energy policies detrimental to the American people and our national security. With the power of the gavel, we will hold the Biden Administration responsible for recklessly attacking a critical industry that provides the American people affordable energy and good-paying job opportunities,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEW🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a> launches probe into President Biden’s energy crisis that is harming the pocketbooks of Americans.
He is calling on senior leadership to provide information related to the Biden Administration’s failed policies.<a href="https://t.co/6wsLrQrhZ5">https://t.co/6wsLrQrhZ5</a>
&mdash; Oversight Committee Republicans (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1599439154760122368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Saudi Arabia has long served as a concern over human rights.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youre-letting-him-get-away-with-murder-jake-tapper-torches-biden-for-giving-saudi-prince-a-pass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> regarding the Saudi crown prince claiming immunity in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. WaPo publisher Fred Ryan criticized Biden when the news was reported, accusing the president of effectively granting a “license to kill.&#8221;

Biden in Saudi Arabia

GOP Rep Launches Probe Into Reports Of Biden’s ‘Secret Deal’ With Saudi Arabia Ahead Of Midterms

Joe Biden

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/tuesday-afternoon-update-11-22-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Democrats Renew Push For Crypto Regulation
Following the FTX collapse, Democratic lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-renew-push-for-cryptocurrency-regulations-target-company-that-serves-as-both-exchange-and-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on regulators to examine bank holding company SoFi Technologies, which owns a subsidiary cryptocurrency exchange. The move comes after FTX filed for bankruptcy following users’ discovery that trading firm Alameda Research borrowed millions in deposits to make investments, causing a liquidity crisis.
Los Angeles Driver Who Crashed Into Sheriff Recruits Denies It Was Deliberate
Nicholas Gutierrez, the 22-year-old driver who crashed into 25 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s recruits last week, denies that he did so deliberately. Gutierrez drove his Honda CR-V into 25 cadets about 20 miles southeast of downtown L.A. on the morning of November 16. Gutierrez sat down with <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/driver-crash-law-encforcement-la-county-sheriff-whittier/3038595/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC 4</a> for an interview.
&#8220;Some of the recruits say that you didn’t break. What do you remember? Anything at all about this?&#8221; an NBC 4 reporter asked Guteriez.
&#8220;I fell asleep at the wheel. And I woke up and people were banging on the window to get out,&#8221; Guteriez explained. &#8220;I had no words. When I got out, I asked if they were okay, and they pulled me out, took me to the ground.&#8221;
Los Angeles Landlord Losing Patience With COVID Eviction Moratorium
Landlords in Los Angeles are frustrated with city government leaders who ended the COVID-era eviction moratorium in October, but haven’t yet made the ordinance official — leaving tenants to continue to be free to stay in apartments without paying rent. Smaller landlords in particular are feeling the sting. One property owner, Monica, who has a tenant who owes her $23,000, spoke with <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/small-landlords-say-la-eviction-moratorium-limbo-is-a-financial-disaster/3039254/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC LA</a> to discuss her experience.
&#8220;We are struggling and I don’t know how much longer I can sustain,&#8221; Monica said. &#8220;My life decisions are put on hold by the government. &#8230; What this is going to do is throw all of us who are housing providers onto the streets as well.&#8221;
More Than 6,500 Ukrainians Killed So Far In Russia-Ukraine War
New data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights <a href="https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-11-22-22/h_7bc4eb42d09cd1568db2a2d5cca4051d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, more than 6,500 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 10,000 have been injured. Experts say those numbers are most likely “significantly higher” due to delayed information reporting, according to CNN.
Twitter To Begin Hiring Again
The Verge <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/21/23472025/elon-musk-twitter-hiring-again-ending-layoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that social media giant Twitter is ready to start hiring again after nearly two-thirds of the company’s previous 7,500 person staff were either fired or left of their own accord under new owner Elon Musk. At an all-employee meeting on Monday, Musk also claimed that moving the company’s headquarters to Texas could give the impression that he was engaged in a “right wing take-over of Twitter,” emphasizing that it is actually a “moderate-wing takeover of Twitter.”
Conservatives Blast CBS For Delayed Verification of Hunter&#8217;s Laptop
This week, CBS News <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-finally-admits-hunters-laptop-is-real-more-than-two-years-after-the-fact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aired</a> a segment “confirming” that it “independently verified” the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop, which he left at a Delaware repair shop. The segment confirmation came nearly two and a half years after the laptop first popped up during the 2020 election cycle — and many months after other outlets had already confirmed it was real. Conservatives quickly let the network have it for the Johnny-come-lately reporting.
Here’s Newsbusters Curtis Houck reacting to the report: “Casablanca was put together in less time. And three presidents that didn&#8217;t last very long, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and James Garfield combined to last less time than it took CBS to acknowledge Hunter&#8217;s laptop.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CurtisHouck</a>: &quot;Casablanca was put together in less time. And three presidents that didn&#39;t last very long, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and James Garfield combined to last less time than it took CBS to acknowledge Hunter&#39;s laptop.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8X3I61Occz">pic.twitter.com/8X3I61Occz</a>
&mdash; Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinTober94/status/1594923022191923202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Missing Teenager&#8217;s Remains Found In Tacoma Park, Maryland
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/missing-maryland-teens-skeletal-remains-found-woods-police-investigating-homicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the body of 17-year-old Rosa Diaz-Santos was discovered in a wooded area in Tacoma Park, Maryland. The teenager went missing in September and Maryland’s Prince George County Police Department is now hunting for her killer, authorities said Monday.
Soccer Upset For The Ages
Saudi Arabia’s soccer team <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/22/1138566357/messi-argentina-saudi-arabia-world-cup-upset-qatar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accomplished</a> what is being described as one of the biggest upsets in sports history by defeating powerhouse Argentina 2 to 1 on Tuesday in the 2022 World Cup. That snaps a 36-game winning streak for the South American nation. Argentina had not lost a game since 2019. Argentina now needs two wins to stay in the tournament. Saudi Arabia has already declared that Wednesday will be a national holiday to celebrate the victory.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/small-landlords-say-la-eviction-moratorium-limbo-is-a-financial-disaster/3039254/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

TUESDAY

Tuesday Afternoon Update | Belated Biden Laptop Coverage, Saudi Upset, And More

Cryptocurrency

General

Hunter Biden

Podcast

CNN anchor Jake Tapper laid into President Joe Biden on Sunday morning, lambasting him for allowing Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/politics/saudi-crown-prince-immunity-state-department-jamal-khashoggi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claim immunity</a> in the murder of The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Tapper concluded his Sunday broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; with a monologue addressing the fact that the Biden administration had determined that — under international law — the crown prince has immunity in the 2018 murder, which Biden has said the prince ordered.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A Biden administration court filing states the office held by Saudi Arabia&#39;s crown prince shields him from a lawsuit filed by the fiancée of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi. CNN&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> questions President Biden&#39;s previous pledge to address the killing. <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNNSotu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/cPHygn6ZZc">pic.twitter.com/cPHygn6ZZc</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1594352763659378688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;A few weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-saudi-relations-biden-mbs-animosity-11666623661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that MBS &#8216;mocks President Biden in private, making fun of the 79-year-old’s gaffes and questioning his mental acuity,&#8217; according to people inside the Saudi government. Nothing gets leaked by the Saudi government to The Wall Street Journal without MBS signing off on it, President Biden,&#8221; Tapper began.
&#8220;What are you — what are we — getting in exchange for letting this thug get away with murder, Mr. President?&#8221; Tapper asked. &#8220;Other than the stink of complicity?&#8221;
The Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan criticized Biden when the news was first reported, accusing the president of effectively granting bin Salman a &#8220;license to kill&#8221; in a blistering statement published Friday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New statement from Washington Post Publisher Fred Ryan <a href="https://t.co/D0Cbt6Cpg2">pic.twitter.com/D0Cbt6Cpg2</a>
&mdash; Washington Post PR (@WashPostPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashPostPR/status/1593672505897664513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;In granting legal immunity to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Biden is failing to uphold America’s most cherished values. He is granting a license to kill to one of the world’s most egregious human-rights abusers who is responsible for the cold-blooded murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist,&#8221; <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/news/a-license-to-kill-washington-post-shreds-biden-over-immunity-for-saudi-crown-prince-in-khashoggi-hit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan wrote</a>.
Ryan went on to note that King Salman had named his son — the crown prince — prime minister in an effort to use international law to shield him from the consequences of his actions.
&#8220;By going along with this scheme, President Biden is turning his back on fundamental principles of press freedom and equality. The American people – and those wronged by MBS in Saudi Arabia and around the world – deserve better,&#8221; he concluded.
According to a Justice Department <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/17/politics/saudi-crown-prince-immunity-state-department-jamal-khashoggi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> referencing a lawsuit brought by Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, &#8220;Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the sitting head of government and, accordingly, is immune from this suit.&#8221;

Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate In Detroit Over Two Nights

‘You’re Letting Him Get Away With Murder’: Jake Tapper Torches Biden For Giving Saudi Prince A Pass

Jake Tapper Torches Biden For Giving Saudi Prince A Pass

Global Politics

Jake Tapper

Jamal Khashoggi

State of the Union

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s administration</a> moved to shield <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saudi Arabia’s</a> Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a lawsuit on Thursday over his involvement in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Biden administration said that MBS’ status holding a high office &#8220;allows immunity&#8221; in response to a lawsuit filed by Khashoggi&#8217;s fiancée and by the rights group he founded, Democracy for the Arab World Now.
&#8220;The State Department recognizes and allows the immunity of Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman as a sitting head of government of a foreign state,&#8221; said Richard C. Visek, Acting Legal Adviser, United States Department of State, in a letter.
&#8220;Under common law principles of immunity articulated by the Executive Branch in the exercise of its Constitutional authority over foreign affairs and informed by customary international law, Prime Minister bin Salman as a sitting head of government is immune while in office from the jurisdiction of the United States District Court in this suit,&#8221; the letter continued. &#8220;In making this immunity determination, the Department of State takes no view on the merits of the present suit and reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi.&#8221;
The letter concluded by requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice &#8220;submit a suggestion of immunity to the district court.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Biden administration suggests immunity for MBS in DAWN &amp; Cengiz lawsuit for murder of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JamalKhashoggi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JamalKhashoggi</a>: 
breaking promise for accountability, Biden guarantees MBS impunity. <a href="https://t.co/72n3dV53Gx">pic.twitter.com/72n3dV53Gx</a>
&mdash; Sarah Leah Whitson (@sarahleah1) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahleah1/status/1593442376063897601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-fearing-saudi-arabia-wont-penalize-mbs-after-he-promised-during-election-that-he-would-hold-saudi-leaders-accountable-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2019 that he wanted to “make [Saudi Arabia] pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are” after U.S. intelligence said in a report that they assessed that MBS “approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”
Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-he-confronted-saudi-crown-prince-over-murder-top-saudi-official-pushes-back">claimed</a> over the summer that he confronted the Saudi Crown Prince when he visited the country to ask them to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-claimed-trip-to-saudi-arabia-wasnt-about-oil-new-report-suggests-they-lied">increase oil production</a> but Saudi Arabia pushed back on that claim.
Biden claimed during a press conference that he “raised” Khashoggi’s murder “at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think of it now.”
“And it was exactly — I was straightforward and direct in discussing it,” he continued. “I made my view crystal clear. I said very straightforwardly: For an American President to be silent on an issue of human rights, is this consistent with — inconsistent with who we are and who I am? I’ll always stand up for our values.”
Biden later claimed that he told MBS that he “thought” MBS was responsible for the murder and that MBS denied those allegations and that MBS indicated all parties that were involved in the murder were brought to justice.
Adel Al-Jubeir, the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who was in the meeting with Biden and MBS told U.S. journalists that he “didn’t hear” Biden make those remarks to MBS.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

US President Joe Biden in Saudi Arabia

Biden Breaks Promise To Hold MBS Accountable For Killing Journalist, Shields Him From Lawsuit

Biden Breaks Promise To Hold MBS Accountable For Killing Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Shields Him From Lawsuit

Executive

The militaries for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saudi Arabia</a> and the United States are reportedly on high alert following an intelligence report warning of an imminent attack from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran</a>.
The intelligence report from Saudi Arabia has also resulted in several neighboring states increasing their level of military alertness, The Wall Street Journal reported.
There were no details about what the specific threats were other than the main reported targets are in Saudi Arabia, Erbil, and Iraq.
The report said that the officials believe that the planned attacks are an attempt for Iran to distract from the mass social unrest that has rocked the country for many weeks as the country’s citizens are fed up with the Islamic Republic’s oppressive regime.
“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” said a National Security Council spokesperson. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a press conference on Tuesday that the U.S. was &#8220;concerned&#8221; about &#8220;the threat situation&#8221; and that the U.S. was in close contact with Saudi Arabia over the matter. &#8220;We will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere,&#8221; Ryder <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-saudi-arabia-high-alert-intel-impending-iranian-attack-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The threats from Iran come as the country has shipped drones for Russian forces to use in their war against Ukraine. Iran has a history of using drones to launch terrorist attacks against countries in the Middle East, including <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/attack-refinery-riyadh-did-not-affect-petroleum-supplies-spa-2022-03-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">providing</a> their proxies with drones that are then used to carry out the attacks.
The report said that Iran has sought to cast blame on Saudi Arabia for the protests it faces because of the Farsi-speaking news coverage Saudi Arabia controls, which Iranians watch.
“This is our last warning, because you are interfering in our internal affairs through these media,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami. “You are involved in this matter and know that you are vulnerable.”
The riots in Iran were sparked in the middle of September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for violating the country’s laws that require women to wear a hijab. Reports have said that police brutally beat her.
It’s unknown how many people have been killed by the Islamic Republic in response to the protests, but reports have pinned the number at more than 200.

IRAN-MILITARY-EXERCISE

U.S. And Saudi Militaries On High Alert Over Intelligence Warning Of Imminent Attack: Report

Iran

Islam

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-murphy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Murphy</a> (D-CT) called for an investigation into <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> since a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saudi Arabian</a> company linked to the nation’s ruling family is now the second-largest shareholder.
Kingdom Holding Company and the private investment office of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal announced last week that the organizations hold nearly 35 million shares in Twitter even after <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> acquired the social media platform, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/Alwaleed_Talal/status/1585975226567110656" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> released by the royal. Although Musk said he purchased the company to encourage free expression and combat political polarization, Murphy called for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to examine Saudi Arabia&#8217;s potential role as new ownership changes the website.
“Today I am requesting the Committee on Foreign Investment — which reviews acquisitions of U.S. businesses by foreign buyers — to conduct an investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia&#8217;s purchase of Twitter,” the lawmaker <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1587091081920929796" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media. “We should be concerned that the Saudis, who have a clear interest in repressing political speech and impacting U.S. politics, are now the second-largest owner of a major social media platform.”
Murphy noted that both TikTok and Twitter, two of the most prominent American social media platforms, would be owned “in whole or in part” by China and Saudi Arabia. “There is a clear national security issue at stake and CFIUS should do a review,” he continued. “This is a dangerous trend, and we don&#8217;t have to accept it.”
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, maintains a 16.9% stake in Kingdom Holding Company.
The proposal comes as leftists <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-outlines-new-content-moderation-strategy">voice distrust</a> for Musk and his leadership of the social media platform. The world’s richest man <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-elon-musk-proposes-twitter-buyout-at-54-20-per-share-trading-halted-as-stock-price-soars">revived</a> efforts to purchase Twitter earlier this month after fighting the company in court over his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-purge-is-coming-twitter-explodes-after-elon-musk-tanks-44-billion-deal">attempt to cancel</a> a previous offer, a move he said was driven by concerns that executives were underestimating the number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-elon-musk-twitter-legal-feud">fake accounts</a> on the platform. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-elon-musk-officially-takes-over-twitter-as-sale-is-now-final-top-execs-fired-report-says">immediately fired</a> CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, who had a role in removing former President Donald Trump from the platform and suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story days before the election of 2020.
“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk explained in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-elon-musk-explains-why-he-bought-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> last week. “There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.”
Murphy’s calls for an investigation also occur amid poor relations between Saudi Arabia and members of the Democratic Party. Lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-blame-the-saudis-democrat-congressman-responds-to-gas-prices-hitting-6-50-in-his-district" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned</a> the wisdom of the United States’ continued alliance with the country after officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/saudi-arabia-helps-russia-cut-oil-output-in-slight-to-united-states-sending-prices-soaring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> to restrict global petroleum output, leading to a worldwide surge in oil prices. The Saudi government later revealed in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-threat-after-saudis-nix-midterm-friendly-oil-plan-looks-like-quid-pro-quo-says-shapiro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that President Joe Biden had requested for the kingdom to delay the production cut until the upcoming midterm elections had concluded.
The commander-in-chief previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sleepy-biden-doesnt-know-if-hes-going-to-saudi-arabia-hint-joe-you-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the nation</a> a “pariah” during the 2020 election cycle in response to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-saudi-spy-chief-offers-brutal-appraisal-of-biden-amid-trip-to-kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murder</a> of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who had been critical of the kingdom’s rulers. Leaders from Saudi Arabia and China said two weeks ago that the two nations plan to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/saudi-arabia-strengthens-ties-with-china-after-snubs-begging-from-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strengthen cooperation</a> on energy.

Chris Murphy

Democrat Senator Calls For Investigation To See If Twitter Is Influenced By Saudis

Dem Senator Calls For Investigation Into Twitter

Elon Musk

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the day-to-day leader of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saudi Arabia</a>, reportedly mocks President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> (D) behind his back and questions his mental fitness for office.
The report from The Wall Street Journal comes after The New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-claimed-trip-to-saudi-arabia-wasnt-about-oil-new-report-suggests-they-lied">reported</a> that the kingdom scuttled a secret deal that it had with the Biden administration to produce more oil before the midterm elections.
The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-saudi-relations-biden-mbs-animosity-11666623661">report</a> said that the crown prince &#8220;mocks President Biden in private, making fun of the 79-year-old’s gaffes and questioning his mental acuity,&#8221; and says he has not been impressed with Biden for years and preferred dealing with the previous administration.
It&#8217;s worth noting that Biden repeatedly attacked the crown prince and the country while on the campaign trail, the administration has taken a stand against Saudi Arabia in their war in Yemen, and they are working with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s top enemy in the region: Iran. The Wall Street Journal added that Biden refused to talk to the crown prince for over a year and when he went to Saudi Arabia, officials there did not feel like Biden wanted to be there.
“Rarely has the chain of broken expectations and perceived insults and humiliations been greater than they are now,” said Aaron David Miller, a veteran U.S. diplomat in the Middle East. “There’s almost no trust and absolutely no mutual respect.”
The administration has repeatedly claimed that a trip to the kingdom in July was not about oil, but a new report from the Times outlined the &#8220;secret deal&#8221; that the administration falsely thought that they had secured.
Biden officials began meeting with the Saudis in the spring and allegedly secured a “private oil deal” in which the kingdom would get the OPEC oil cartel to increase their output of oil by 400,000 barrels per day starting in July instead of the previously planned September.
The officials then believed that they had gotten the kingdom to agree to increasing production by an additional 200,000 barrels per day starting in September and lasting the rest of the year.
OPEC announced on June 2 the administration’s desired action for an accelerated timeline of the additional 400,000 barrels per day. That same day, Biden announced that he was making a trip to Saudi Arabia.
When Biden got to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15, the price of oil was starting to come down.
When he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudis presented the administration with charts that showed that the price of oil had fallen and promised they would increase oil production to a staggering 11 million barrels per day, which the report noted the country “had reached for only a few months in total over the past several years.”
Biden’s team thought they secured the deal, but Saudi officials were privately telling others that they had no plans to go through with it.
The report noted that the first warning came in August when OPEC announced only a 100,000 barrel increase in oil production, half of what was expected. Several weeks later, OPEC announced it was cutting the 100,000 barrel increase.
The administration then learned that the kingdom was going to cut production and they desperately tried to stop them, but nothing worked.
The report effectively said that the Biden administration was clueless as to why the kingdom stabbed them in the back on their “secret deal.”
The Journal noted that the fractured relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia presents numerous risks for the U.S., including &#8220;counterterrorism operations, efforts to contain Iran and Israel’s deeper integration into the region.&#8221;

Saudi Crown Prince Mocks Biden, Questions His Fitness For Office: Report

President Joe Biden&#8217;s (D) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">administration</a> has repeatedly claimed, including as recently as <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1585405695335272448">today</a>, that the trip the president took to Saudi Arabia over the summer had nothing to do with oil.
However, a new report from The New York Times outlined a &#8220;secret deal&#8221; that the administration had with the kingdom, which Saudi Arabia later turned on.
Biden officials began meeting with the Saudis in the spring and allegedly secured a &#8220;private oil deal&#8221; in which the kingdom would get the OPEC oil cartel to increase their output of oil by 400,000 barrels per day starting in July instead of the previously planned September.
The officials then believed that they had gotten the kingdom to agree to increasing production by an additional 200,000 barrels per day starting in September and lasting the rest of the year.
OPEC announced on June 2 the administration&#8217;s desired action for an accelerated timeline of the additional 400,000 barrels per day. That same day, Biden announced that he was making a trip to Saudi Arabia.
When Biden got to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15, the price of oil was starting to come down.
When he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country&#8217;s day-to-day leader, the Saudis presented the administration with charts that showed that the price of oil had fallen and promised that they would increase oil production to a staggering 11 million barrels per day, which the report noted the country &#8220;had reached for only a few months in total over the past several years.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s team thought they secured the deal, but Saudi officials were privately telling others that they had no plans to go through with it.
The report noted that the first warning came in August when OPEC announced only a 100,000 barrel increase in oil production, half of what was expected. Several weeks later, OPEC announced it was cutting the 100,000 barrel increase.
The administration then learned that the kingdom was going to cut production and they desperately tried to stop them, but nothing worked.
The report effectively said that the Biden administration was clueless as to why the kingdom stabbed them in the back on their &#8220;secret deal.&#8221;
It&#8217;s worth noting that Biden repeatedly attacked the crown prince and the country while on the campaign trail, the administration has taken a stand against Saudi Arabia in their war in Yemen, and they are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/25/us/politics/saudi-arabia-oil-biden-democrats.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s top enemy in the region: Iran. The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-saudi-relations-biden-mbs-animosity-11666623661">added</a> that Biden refused to talk to the crown prince for over a year and when he went to Saudi Arabia, officials there did not feel like Biden wanted to be there.
Biden and the Democrats have responded to Saudi Arabia&#8217;s decision to cut oil production by threatening to take various punitive actions against the kingdom, ranging from economic measures to reducing their military capabilities.

Biden Admin Claimed Trip To Saudi Arabia Wasn’t About Oil. New Report Suggests They Lied.

Biden Admin Claimed Trip To Saudi Arabia Wasn't About Oil. New Report Suggests They Lied.

Menu