You can’t scam an honest man — Trump saw these marks a mile off.
— ‘Behind this flurry of deal-making, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler expected the US to defend the kingdom if it was attacked, as Washington has done in the past. But Prince Mohammed, like the leaders of other Arab petrostates who have invested billions of dollars to appease Trump, is learning a hard lesson: never count on Trump to protect you.
Over the summer, Trump’s war against Iran rekindled a years-long conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia in Yemen. Last month, as the Houthis intensified their attacks on Saudi territory and the kingdom’s Yemeni allies, the prince called Trump multiple times in September, urging him to launch US airstrikes against the Houthis, who are allied with Iran.
For now, Trump has resisted appeals from Prince Mohammed to drag American forces into the Houthi-Saudi battle – one of the best foreign policy decisions of an otherwise disastrous second term.’
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/19/saudi-arabia-trump-relationship
the GuardianSaudi Arabia is learning the hard way: they can’t count on Trump for protection | Mohamad BazziAfter Houthis escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, the US turned down calls from MBS for help