Biden’s Frantic Quest to Curb Gas Prices Sends Him on Saudi Trip
- US president to meet crown prince in bid for cheaper gasoline
- White House says trip aims to strengthen regional security
President Joe Biden
Photographer: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg
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President Joe Biden seeks to salvage relations with Saudi Arabia in a Mideast trip that risks political embarrassment unless near-record US gasoline prices swiftly come back to Earth.
The hope is that restoring relations with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, a leader he decried as a “pariah” after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, will secure a boost in oil production and help ease pump prices battering Biden’s approval ratings at home. The two will meet Friday night, an encounter that will be closely scrutinized for their body language and power dynamics.