US President Donald Trump on Saturday shared details of an encounter with Saudi Arabia’s leadership, using the moment to underline how he believes global perceptions of the United States have shifted under his presidency. Speaking at an investment forum, Trump described how the country had been viewed as a “dead country” before what he portrayed as the “hottest country in the world”.Trump recounted a conversation with Saudi Arabia’s king, describing their personal rapport in unusually warm terms. “What a man he is… When I was there, we bonded,” he said, adding that the monarch would “grab my arm to get up” and that “I think he likes me. And he did like me, and he still likes me.”Trump then turned to what he said was a recent exchange, claiming the Saudi leader had praised the United States’ turnaround under his leadership. “He looked at me and he said, you know, it’s amazing. One year ago you were a dead country. Now you’re the hottest country anywhere in the world,” Trump said.In a remark that drew attention, Trump added: “He didn’t think he’d be kissing my ass. He really didn’t. He thought he’d be just another American president that was a loser, where the country was going downhill. But now he has to be nice to me.”The comments come against the backdrop of a widening conflict in the Middle East, with the United States and Israel engaged in a month-long war with Iran that has disrupted global oil flows and heightened tensions across the region. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Tehran is seeking negotiations, even as Iranian officials deny formal talks are underway.At the same event, Trump insisted that any peace deal would require Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route. “We’re negotiating now… but they have to open it up,” he said, before jokingly referring to it as the “Strait of Trump” — a remark he later brushed off by saying, “there’s no accidents with me.”Trump also claimed that Iran was “on the run”, asserting that its military and nuclear capabilities had been significantly weakened during the conflict.In 2020, during scrutiny over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump reportedly told journalist Bob Woodward, “I saved his ass,” referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid US political backlash.
