Graham Praises ‘Very Productive’ Meeting With Saudi Crown Prince

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) speaks during the Vision 2024 National Conservative Forum at the Charleston Area Convention Center in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 18, 2023. Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) softened his earlier stance on Saudi Arabia following what he described as a “very productive” meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his senior leadership team on April 12.

In a Twitter thread after the meeting, Graham said that “the opportunity to enhance the U.S.–Saudi relationship is real and the reforms going on in Saudi Arabia are equally real.”

The positive comments represent a significant shift in Graham’s views on the Saudi regime.

Previous Harsh Words

The South Carolina Republican previously criticized the kingdom in 2018 after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, calling the incident a “betrayal” and indicating that he would support sanctions against the Saudis.

The circumstances surrounding Khashoggi’s death placed suspicion on the Saudis, who the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has ruled responsible for the assassination.

At the time, Graham stated, “If the prince truly loved his country he would not have put his country in this position. If he truly respected the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia he would have never thought of this.”

Now, however, Graham seems to be more open to the idea of improving relations with the Saudis, expressing a desire to “take the U.S.–Saudi relationship to the next level.”

He emphasized that a stronger partnership between the nations could lead to a “tremendous economic benefit to both countries and bring much-needed stability to a troubled region.”

Graham also praised Saudi Arabia’s recent decision to purchase two Boeing 737s built in South Carolina, a deal worth $37 billion.

“Investments like this are game changers,” Graham said.

Modernize and Reform

While some may criticize Graham for shifting his stance on Saudi Arabia, the senator argued that his new perspective is based on the kingdom’s efforts to modernize and reform.

Saudi Arabia has in recent years undertaken a series of reforms, including loosening restrictions on women’s rights and lifting a decades-long ban on movie theaters.

Despite its controversial social policies, Saudi Arabia has long played the role of one of the most important U.S. allies in the region, in part due to the two nations’ shared adversaries like Iraq and Iran.

Graham’s meeting with the crown prince comes as U.S. prestige on the world stage has been threatened by an unprecedented leak of classified documents, including some documents that only those with the highest security clearance could access.

At the same time, other key U.S. global rivals—most prominently Russia and China—have upped their aggressive posturing toward Ukraine and Taiwan.

Increasing U.S. anxiety in the region, China recently aided Iran and Saudi Arabia—longtime regional rivals—in restoring normal diplomatic relations, suggesting a threat to U.S. diplomatic supremacy in the region.