President Trump rolled out the red carpet this week for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, turning what some once called a diplomatic pariah into a central player on the world stage. The spectacle in Washington — a South Lawn arrival, a Cabinet Room signing, and a formal White House dinner — was not theater for theater’s sake; it was a statement that America under Trump puts national interest and strength first.
At the center of the visit was hard-headed security and industrial policy: the administration signaled it will move forward with advanced defense cooperation, including plans to sell F-35 fighters to Riyadh. This is exactly the kind of realpolitik conservatives understand — equip an ally who will stand against Iranian aggression, and secure American jobs and technology through multi-billion-dollar contracts for U.S. defense builders.
The pomp was unmistakable, because respect matters in diplomacy and projecting strength deters enemies more reliably than virtue-signaling ever did. From the military flyover to the East Room dinner, the Trump White House treated the visit with the gravity it deserved, reaffirming centuries-old norms: allies earn trust through shared interests and mutual benefit, not moral grandstanding from coastal elites.
Beyond jets and parades, this visit was about unleashing private capital back into the American economy — deals on critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and massive Saudi investment pledges aimed at creating jobs and revitalizing industries across the heartland. Conservatives should celebrate any foreign engagement that brings factories, payrolls, and investment home, not lectures that leave American workers behind while chasing international approval.
No serious observer ignores the shadow of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, and it’s fair for Americans to demand answers. That said, President Trump made a conscious decision to look forward, insisting on engagement and using the leverage of commerce and security to press for regional stability rather than isolating a pivotal player and ceding influence to rivals.
This administration’s push for an upgraded U.S.-Saudi security arrangement and a renewed focus on normalizing Arab-Israeli ties fits squarely within a conservative framework: peace through strength, diplomacy through leverage, and prosperity tied to security. If Riyadh moves closer into the orbit of the Abraham Accords fold, that would be a geopolitical win that rewards patient American leadership and protects Israel’s interests while reducing the chance of reckless military adventures.
Now is the moment for Congress and the American people to back President Trump’s dealmaking, not to kneecap an administration that is delivering tangible defense capabilities and private-sector investment. Skeptics should remember that retreat and isolation only invite chaos; conservative, pragmatic engagement combined with rigorous oversight is exactly how we keep America secure and prosperous.
