Trump lavishes praise on Saudis, but silent on human rights
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RIYADH—President Donald Trump has lavished praise on Saudi Arabia during his visit to the desert kingdom, calling the country "magnificent."
But he's stayed silent on Saudi Arabia's abysmal human rights record, cementing his willingness to set aside human rights as a principal foreign policy. He told Saudi leaders and the heads of other countries in the region that he wasn't there to "lecture" them.
The closest Trump came to acknowledging the human rights situation was a call for the region's leaders to stand together against "the oppression of women."
A White House official later said the president did raise women's rights in his private meetings with Saudi officials, and noted that administration officials broached the topic in their talks in the lead-up to the trip.
