Donald Trump has started his four-day trip to the Middle East by strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia.
The US president has met with the country's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
They announced a $600 billion (USD) commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in America.
The two also discussed efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear programme and end the war in Gaza.
US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this trip has raised concerns - especially following the infamous plane gift Trump received from Qatar.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
International Correspondence with Ends and Eye Insurance, Peace of mind
for New Zealand business.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeh, the sins the US correspondence with US Now Hello Dan, Hi, Heather? Yeah,
how much are you loving having him out of the country.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
He's still making news. He's still making news. It doesn't
matter and whatever he does, it focuses back on him.
I mean, you got to give the guy credit. You know,
it always comes back to making him look good. And
I had a feeling he was going to be making
news on this trip, and like you just said on
the world wires, he signed several new agreements with Saudi
Arabia today, which is interesting because I mean, they've been
(00:36):
listed as a terrorist regime since I think it was
nineteen seventy nine, nineteen eighties, so you know, these sanctions
have been a long time coming. And there's also concerns
here the other big stories this jet that they're proposing
to give that the President would use as a temporary
air force one right now, which people are saying, well,
that just comes out and shows that you can be
(00:57):
bought in this office a public I guess I should say,
because you know, I mean, we've been accusing politicians of
doing that for eons and eons, but this has really
gotten some pushback.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
And how has it gone down, this plan to lift
the sanctions on Syria.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I think it's a little mixed. I mean, it's interesting
to hear the president say that that he doesn't like
permanent enemies, and then he thinks it's their time to shine.
But again, I think this is going to be something
that I don't think. I mean, it already is very
divisive down party lines at this point. And see will
anything come about of it? Maybe will his prayer, will
(01:36):
his successor reverse this? Possibly we'll have to see. You know,
who's who's in office in three and a half years.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Is he going to go to that meeting with Zelenski
and Posian?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
I don't know. There's been a lot of talk about
that back and forth at this point in time. It
would certainly be interesting to have the three of them
in that same room, but it's just really hard to
see putin getting together with anybody, you know, besides Donald
Trump at this point in time. I mean, he might
get together with Zelenski, but the three of them together, boy, now,
that would be a that would be a story worth covering.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Hey, listen, So what are the chances that these Menindi's
brothers actually get out shortly, you.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Know what, they're in their late fifties, I think, I mean,
there's a chance there has to be a decision by
next month, I believe to hold a hearing on this.
And a judge today basically resentenced them to fifty years
to life in prison, which automatically makes them eligible to
go before this parole board. And I mean there's been
a lot of back and forth. I mean, both apologized
(02:34):
in court for their actions. Again, they talked about their hopes.
They said that we want to work with sex abuse victims.
We want to help those who have been incarcerated that
have been given a second chance outside the prison system.
But I mean there's still a lot of people that
hold grudges against them, you know, murdering their parents despite
them saying that they were you know, sexually abused as kids.
And this is the reason why. But there are also
(02:55):
other people that are coming forward that we hadn't heard
from before right now saying, you know what these guys
have done their time, they deserve to be free.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Now. Talk to me about this book that has some
allegations about the attempts that were made to hide Biden
kind of slipping further and further away. What do we know?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I mean, I got to I got to tell you
how the I mean, we've heard a lot of this
stuff before. What we haven't, or at least I haven't heard,
was the fact that they were they wanted him in
a wheelchair, which is I think one of the most
notable disclosures.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
There was a wheelchair? Was it because he kept four.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yeah, exactly a bike.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That's the opposite.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
I know, I know, and apparently I mean it's again
I think it goes back to that close circle, including
his wife. But but they said, well, we can't have
him in a wheelchair before the election, but we do
have a plan to have him in a wheelchair after
he got elected, if he got elected.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yes, wow, okay, Now why why did he have to
be in a wheelchair.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Just because of his his well not just his cognitive
but his physical disabilities. I mean, they were saying that
the evidence of aging was just overwhelming right there. I mean,
he didn't even recognize George Clooney at a fundraiser that
Clooney was hosting for or legendly didn't recognize him for
you know, for and he was one of his closest
Hollywood friends. And then they did this interview, the president
(04:19):
and his wife on the view a couple of weeks back,
pushing back on all these suggestions that he had this
cognitive decline, but honestly had this. This has been one
of the worst political secrets in political circles for several years.
And I think Biden and his wife will go to
their graves denying that he wasn't up for the job
or should have been pulled out of the race sooner.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Well, it was clear though, wasn't it. Hey, Dan, Thank you?
I really appreciated Dan Mitchison, US correspondent. For more from hither,
Duke Lass Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd
be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
International Correspondence with Ends and Eye Insurance, Peace of mind
for New Zealand business.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeh, the sins the US correspondence with US Now Hello Dan, Hi, Heather? Yeah,
how much are you loving having him out of the country.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
He's still making news. He's still making news. It doesn't
matter and whatever he does, it focuses back on him.
I mean, you got to give the guy credit. You know,
it always comes back to making him look good. And
I had a feeling he was going to be making
news on this trip, and like you just said on
the world wires, he signed several new agreements with Saudi
Arabia today, which is interesting because I mean, they've been
(00:36):
listed as a terrorist regime since I think it was
nineteen seventy nine, nineteen eighties, so you know, these sanctions
have been a long time coming. And there's also concerns
here the other big stories this jet that they're proposing
to give that the President would use as a temporary
air force one right now, which people are saying, well,
that just comes out and shows that you can be
(00:57):
bought in this office a public I guess I should say,
because you know, I mean, we've been accusing politicians of
doing that for eons and eons, but this has really
gotten some pushback.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
And how has it gone down, this plan to lift
the sanctions on Syria.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I think it's a little mixed. I mean, it's interesting
to hear the president say that that he doesn't like
permanent enemies, and then he thinks it's their time to shine.
But again, I think this is going to be something
that I don't think. I mean, it already is very
divisive down party lines at this point. And see will
anything come about of it? Maybe will his prayer, will
(01:36):
his successor reverse this? Possibly we'll have to see. You know,
who's who's in office in three and a half years.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Is he going to go to that meeting with Zelenski
and Posian?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
I don't know. There's been a lot of talk about
that back and forth at this point in time. It
would certainly be interesting to have the three of them
in that same room, but it's just really hard to
see putin getting together with anybody, you know, besides Donald
Trump at this point in time. I mean, he might
get together with Zelenski, but the three of them together, boy, now,
that would be a that would be a story worth covering.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Hey, listen, So what are the chances that these Menindi's
brothers actually get out shortly, you.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Know what, they're in their late fifties, I think, I mean,
there's a chance there has to be a decision by
next month, I believe to hold a hearing on this.
And a judge today basically resentenced them to fifty years
to life in prison, which automatically makes them eligible to
go before this parole board. And I mean there's been
a lot of back and forth. I mean, both apologized
(02:34):
in court for their actions. Again, they talked about their hopes.
They said that we want to work with sex abuse victims.
We want to help those who have been incarcerated that
have been given a second chance outside the prison system.
But I mean there's still a lot of people that
hold grudges against them, you know, murdering their parents despite
them saying that they were you know, sexually abused as kids.
And this is the reason why. But there are also
(02:55):
other people that are coming forward that we hadn't heard
from before right now saying, you know what these guys
have done their time, they deserve to be free.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Now. Talk to me about this book that has some
allegations about the attempts that were made to hide Biden
kind of slipping further and further away. What do we know?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I mean, I got to I got to tell you
how the I mean, we've heard a lot of this
stuff before. What we haven't, or at least I haven't heard,
was the fact that they were they wanted him in
a wheelchair, which is I think one of the most
notable disclosures.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
There was a wheelchair? Was it because he kept four.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Yeah, exactly a bike.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That's the opposite.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
I know, I know, and apparently I mean it's again
I think it goes back to that close circle, including
his wife. But but they said, well, we can't have
him in a wheelchair before the election, but we do
have a plan to have him in a wheelchair after
he got elected, if he got elected.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yes, wow, okay, Now why why did he have to
be in a wheelchair.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Just because of his his well not just his cognitive
but his physical disabilities. I mean, they were saying that
the evidence of aging was just overwhelming right there. I mean,
he didn't even recognize George Clooney at a fundraiser that
Clooney was hosting for or legendly didn't recognize him for
you know, for and he was one of his closest
Hollywood friends. And then they did this interview, the president
(04:19):
and his wife on the view a couple of weeks back,
pushing back on all these suggestions that he had this
cognitive decline, but honestly had this. This has been one
of the worst political secrets in political circles for several years.
And I think Biden and his wife will go to
their graves denying that he wasn't up for the job
or should have been pulled out of the race sooner.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Well, it was clear though, wasn't it. Hey, Dan, Thank you?
I really appreciated Dan Mitchison, US correspondent. For more from hither,
Duke Lass Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd
be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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