Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, in photos

WASHINGTON (AP) — From the moment Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pulled up to the White House entrance on the South Lawn on Tuesday, it was clear that President Donald Trump wanted to honor and welcome Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader as an ally, friend and coveted source of investment in the United States.

Prince Mohammed received a gunfire salute, a six-jet military flyover and an affectionate handshake and shoulder embrace from Trump. Once in the Oval Office, Trump defended his guest’s troubled record on human rights. He excoriated a reporter who asked about Saudi agents killing Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, dismissing the death with a “things happen.”

The president seemed determined to leave no daylight between him and the 40-year-old prince. At one point, Trump slapped the air in apparent of hope of giving the Saudi official a mid-level high-five, and the pair ended up in what appeared to be a hand-hug. “We’ve been really good friends for a long period of time,” Trump said. “We’ve always been on the same side of every issue.”

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.