As reports mount about Saudi Arabia arresting Saudi princes, including a prominent billionaire investor, President Trump and his administration have been silent about the ruling family's purge even after he spoke with the king late Saturday on other matters. It is unclear if the arrests in Saudi Arabia were part of an anti-corruption investigation or a move by King Salman to consolidate power around his own family, or both. Trump repeatedly has expressed his admiration for the powerful Saudi monarch and promised to support Saudi Arabia's moves against Iran in the region. Later, when Trump spoke briefly to reporters on the plane, he said only that he'd urged the king to list the Saudi national oil company, Aramco, on an American stock exchange. Pressed by reporters, the White House on Sunday released the detailed description of Trump's phone call with Salman.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 05, 2017 15:39 UTC