WH Press Secretary on Biden’s Potential Trip to Saudi Arabia: ‘It Was Never Locked In’

(CNSNews.com) – The White House said Monday that while there is no planned trip to announce for President Joe Biden to go to Saudi Arabia yet, it was not postponed as some are reporting.

“Just to follow up on Saudi Arabia: It’s been reported as fact that the president has decided he is going to go this summer. You said on Friday it was still a possibility. Can you give us a sense of where that decision stands today?” a reporter asked.

“So, we have no travel to — to announce today, but I can assure you that what the president is focused on is — first and foremost is how his engagements with foreign leaders advance American interests. That is — that as — as true with Saudi Arabia with — than anywhere else — than any — with anyone else,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“Just as he has engaged recently with leaders of ASEAN in Asia — and this week, he’s going to do that at the Summit of Americas — the president will look for opportunities to engage with leaders from the Middle East region, and we just ha- — don’t have anything to announce today, but I do want to be — make — you know, be clear here: People have been asking if it was postponed,” she said.

“You — look, he said — the president said himself on Friday — I believe, yes, Friday — that the — that there was a — a visit in the works, but it was — it was — it wasn’t moved or postponed. It was — that — that reporting is actually not accurate. We were still having discussions, it was being considered, but it was never locked in. So I just want to be very clear on that,” the press secretary said.

As CNSNews.com previously reported, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said that Biden should not go to Saudi Arabia to meet with the Crown Prince in an effort to lower gas prices.

“In my view, no. I wouldn’t go. I wouldn’t shake his hand. This is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up into pieces and in the most terrible and premeditated way, and until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in terms of human rights, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him,” Schiff told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” 

When asked how Schiff’s comments weigh into the president’s thinking about a possible trip, the press secretary said, “So, as you know, Congressman Adam Schiff is someone that we — we respect very much, that the president respects very much. As the president said on Friday, he believes it’s his job to try to bring peace where he can.

“This trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, when it comes, would be in the context of significant deliverables for the American people and the Middle East region,” Jean-Pierre said.

“You know, we look forward to consulting closely with members of Congress, but again, I don’t have a trip right now to announce. So there’s really — I don’t want to get ahead of something that we’re just — don’t have anything for — to share,” she added.

Meanwhile, when asked Monday what evidence the White House can point to that repairing relations with Saudi Arabia will lead to lower gas prices in the United States, Jean-Pierre said that when it comes to gas prices, that is something for OPEC to deal with and that the White House doesn’t get involved in any of that.

“Well, when it comes to oil or gas prices, that’s something that OPEC-Plus deals. We do not get involved in any of that. That is not the conversations that we have with Saudi Arabia, and I know they — OPEC-Plus made an announcement last week, on Friday, and we welcome that announcement, but that is not a part of our agenda when we have a discussion with them,” she said.

“I just want to get back to what you said a minute ago with Saudi Arabia,” a reporter said. “I mean, finding more oil and getting that to market is such a key part of the broader strategy with Russia right now.  When OPEC-Plus made that announcement, you put out a statement saying, ‘We recognize the role of Saudi Arabia…in achieving this consensus.’”

“You’re saying, when the president, when senior administration officials are talking to people in Saudi Arabia, the question of oil production never comes up?” the reporter asked.

“I’m saying it’s not — it’s not the — it’s not the focus; it’s not the — on the agenda, right? That’s something for OPEC-Plus to decide. Clearly, Saudi Arabia chairs that, and so, we just want to be very clear on that, and I was asked the same question last week, and I pretty much said the same thing, and so, that’s — you know, I’m just going to leave it there,” the press secretary said.

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