Trump tells Tucker Carlson Biden insulted Saudi crown prince with fist bump: ‘It means... your hand is dirty’
Former president sits down for interview with the Fox News host on Tuesday
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump told Tucker Carlson on Fox News that Joe Biden fist bumped Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman because the president thought his hands were dirty.
The former president’s comments came as he sat down for an interview with the Fox News host on Tuesday. The former president criticised Mr Biden and accused him of insulting the crown prince with a fist bump.
“You take a look at Saudi Arabia. Look at what happened. They’re great people. They wanted to help us. He goes and gives a fist bump. Do you know what a fist bump means? It means don’t shake my hand because your hand is dirty, that’s what a fist bump is. They were so insulted. You understand that, yes?” the former president was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
Last summer the president visited Jeddah during his Middle East tour.
On his arrival at the Al Salam Royal Palace Mr Biden emerged from the “the Beast” and fist-bumped the crown prince who stood ready to greet him.
Observers had said that the insistence on fist bumping was a way of avoiding having to shake the hand of such a controversial figure as the Saudi crown prince, who – according to a scathing intelligence report – is believed to have had a direct hand in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist.
The president’s encounter in July came as the US was making an attempt to mend relations with the world’s most influential oil power while seeking its help in opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting surge in oil prices.
The hour-long interview, billed as “historic” by Fox News, mainly featured Mr Trump speaking uninterrupted for long periods of time.
During the interview, Mr Trump, who has been impeached twice, also speculated that Mr Biden “can’t” run for a second term due to his “mental state”. He complimented the mental faculties of Home Depot founder Bernard Marcus.
The interview with Carlson comes weeks after the publication of text messages that the Fox News host sent in January 2021 in which he said of the former president: “I hate him passionately. ... I can’t handle much more of this.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments