Biden officially announces trip to Saudi Arabia, despite pledging to make the country a 'pariah' over Khashoggi's murder
Business InsiderAPR 2022
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Challenging global developments and US national interests have compelled Washington to maintain ties with Saudi Arabia and MBS. Riyadh is a controversial but important partner. Given the kingdom's reliance on Washington, Biden could even leverage the trip to persuade MBS to make concessions on human rights.
Establishment-critical narrative
This is just another example of the US' hypocritical double standards regarding international affairs. It was the CIA who held MBS directly responsible for Khashoggi's murder, but as soon as the US' own economic and geopolitical interests were at stake, it threw its alleged values overboard. Out of sheer desperation, the US is now increasingly humiliating itself on the world stage and making itself the "pariah" of credibility.