The Latest: Trump expected to give Saudi crown prince a warm embrace during White House visit
Nov 18, 2025, 5:24 AM | Updated: Nov 19, 2025, 9:02 am
President Donald Trump speaks at the McDonald's Impact Summit, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump is set to fete Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday when the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia makes his first White House visit since Saudi agents killed Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The U.S.-Saudi relationship had been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom. U.S. intelligence agencies determined Prince Mohammed likely directed the agents to carry it out. Prince Mohammed denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, a Virginia resident. And Trump has only tightened his embrace of the crown prince, whom he views as an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East for decades to come.
The two leaders will unveil billions of dollars in deals, including one to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets, and huddle with aides to discuss difficult ways forward in the volatile Middle East before an evening White House soiree organized by first lady Melania Trump.
The Latest:
The House is expected to vote Tuesday evening on legislation to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, the culmination of a monthslong effort that has overcome opposition from Trump and Republican leadership.
The Trump administration’s blueprint to secure and govern Gaza won strong approval at the United Nations on Monday.
The U.S. resolution authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by Trump and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.
Federal immigration authorities could expand operations in North Carolina as soon as Tuesday, the mayor of the state’s capital city said.
Customs and Border Protection agents have continued operating in Charlotte, where they arrested more than 130 people over the weekend.
