Trump to Saudi King: You wouldn’t Last 2 Weeks without US Support

Local Editor

US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia's king "might not be there for two weeks" without US military support, as he sought to pressure the close American ally over rising oil prices.

Speaking at a campaign rally Tuesday night in Mississippi, Trump said: "I love the king, King Salman, but I said, 'King, we're protecting you. You might not be there for two weeks without us. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay.'"

Trump didn't elaborate on when he spoke to the king. Trump and King Salman last shared a reported telephone call on Saturday.

Benchmark Brent crude oil is near $85 a barrel – a four-year high – and analysts say it could reach $100.

This comes a few days after the Republican president called on Riyadh to increase its military spending, with an eye on more weapons sales to the "rich" kingdom.

“I love Saudi Arabia. They are great, King Salman, I spoke with him this morning. I said, king, you have got trillions of dollars. Without us, who knows what’s going to happen. .... With us they are totally safe. But we don’t get what we should be getting,” he said at a rally in West Virginia on Saturday.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team