Biden shows no regrets over fist bump with MBS: 'Happy to answer a question that matters'

Daniel Chaitin

July 17, 01:26 AM July 17, 01:28 AM

President Joe Biden dismissed his controversial fist bump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to start his trip to Saudi Arabia as an inconsequential gesture.

Reporters greeted Biden on the South Lawn of the White House shortly after midnight Sunday morning, marking an end of his return journey from his first Middle East excursion as president. One asked Biden whether he regretted the fist bump, which drew widespread condemnation, even after the White House had said Biden would not shake hands when meeting with leaders in the Middle East due to COVID-19 risks.

"Why don't you guys talk about something that matters? I'm happy to answer a question that matters," Biden said in reply.

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Biden drew controversy when he greeted Bin Salman, also known as MBS, on Friday with a fist bump that was caught on camera upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah. He laughed when a reporter noted he had come "under a lot of fire" for it when taking questions after his meeting with MBS. But even allies knocked him for the gesture. "If ever we needed a visual reminder of the continuing grip oil-rich autocrats have on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we got it today," tweeted Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). "One fist bump is worth a thousand words."

In particular, Biden was under intense scrutiny over whether he would press MBS on the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a United States resident and columnist for the Washington Post, at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. A U.S. intelligence report found MBS approved the operation, but Saudi officials have denied MBS had any role in the assassination.

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Biden says he confronted the de facto Saudi ruler about Khashoggi during their meeting. However, Saudi officials claim MBS confronted Biden about abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison by U.S. military personnel and the U.S. response to the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank, according to CNN.

Biden responded with a flat "no" when asked upon his return to the White House whether the Saudi foreign minister was telling the truth when he claimed to not have heard the president accuse the crown prince of Khashoggi's murder. Biden also said he is "hoping" inflation will go down, and when asked if he would honor his campaign pledge to release all of the marijuana inmates in prison, Biden said he does not believe "anyone should be in prison for the use of marijuana."