Watch Webinar – Analysis of Trump’s MidEast Trip
On May 13, President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, kicking off a pivotal three-day regional trip that includes visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. While President Trump has focused on economic matters, announcing $600 billion in Saudi investment in the United States, his trip also signals a shift in U.S. foreign policy.
In an address in Riyadh, Trump excoriated “nation-builders” and “interventionalists,” and expressed his hope that the Middle East would enter a “golden age” shedding its centuries-long “turmoil and strife, and war and death,” and instead become a “cultural and commercial crossroads of the planet.” Trump also rejected the idea that the United States has any “permanent enemies,” instead voicing a desire to, with Iran, “forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be profound.” Putting words into action, the president announced the removal of all sanctions against Syria and met with that country’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
To assess the key takeaways from the trip and the unfolding developments in the region, JINSA hosted a webinar featuring JINSA Distinguished Scholar and former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Amb. Eric Edelman, and JINSA’s Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow John Hannah. The conversation was moderated by JINSA Director of Foreign Policy Jonathan Ruhe.
Amb. Eric Edelman Amb. Eric Edelman is a Distinguished Scholar at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy and the Co-Chair of its Iran Policy Project and Eastern Mediterranean Policy Project. Amb. Edelman served in senior positions at the Departments of State and Defense as well as the White House where he led organizations providing analysis, strategy, policy development, security services, trade advocacy, public outreach, citizen services and congressional relations. |
John Hannah John Hannah is the Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy. John served in senior foreign policy positions for both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s National Security Advisor from 2005-2009 and as Vice President Cheney’s Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East from 2001-2005. |
Jonathan Ruhe Jonathan Ruhe is JINSA Director of Foreign Policy. Prior to joining JINSA, he worked at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), where he focused on Middle East and Former Soviet Union security issues. His commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Dispatch, and various international media outlets. |