President Trump would like you to forget that he boasted of his business deals in Saudi Arabia many times throughout his presidential campaign.
The president on Tuesday tweeted that he has "no financial interests in Saudi Arabia," and any suggestion otherwise is just "FAKE NEWS." Trump distanced himself from foreign interests after critics suggested his business with Saudi Arabia may influence his response to the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who Turkish officials believe was murdered when he went to visit the Saudi consulate.
But Trump has long touted his past dealings with Saudi Arabia. "I love the Saudis," he said at his very first campaign event at Trump Tower. "Many are in this building." Trump sold a full floor of Trump World Tower to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for $12 million in 2001, reports CBS News. More recently, CNN reports, a lobbying firm for Saudi Arabia paid the Trump International Hotel about $270,000 between 2016 and 2017. And per The Washington Post, Trump's hotels have seen a substantial uptick in Saudi visitors this year.
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In 2015, Trump said that he "makes a lot of money with" the Saudis and that "they pay me millions and hundreds of millions." And at a rally, he suggested he likes Saudi Arabia specifically because of his business dealings there. "They buy apartments from me," he said. "They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much." Brendan Morrow
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