This was going to be the latest edition of The Washington Pist. I had written it, my finger poised over the “Send” key, when something told me to check a lot deeper into a story bubbling around the internet, spread most prominently by People magazine and confirmed by AI.
Trump’s response to a reporter’s question about Khashoggi, “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about”, demonstrates his amorality. It’s like his infamous, “you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides”, trying to assign moral equivalence where there is none.
Did anyone else notice trump reaching out and shaking hands with MBS then pointing it out to the reporters and others in the room saying he took that hand "I don't care where it's been"? I laughed out loud at the shocking implied insult no one seemed to notice, then thought about trump's renowned germaphobia and how that plays into the testimony of so many of the girls at Epstein's, and now think of it in terms of Khashoggi's murder. That hand has been in lots of very dark and nasty places and true - if there's also been enough gold in the palm - trump doesn't care where it's been.
I realized I should clarify I'm not implying MBS was implicated in the Epstein files. I'm saying trump's germaphobia is noted in independent descriptions provided by victims outside of the Epstein files, and I can believe he might be attempting to depict himself as decidedly non-germaphobic... with hilarious results if that's the point of his comment. Either way, imagine you had just shaken someone's hand and they turned around and announced "see? I touched their hand and I don't care Where it's been".
Had you labeled that photo of Bezos “Patrick Stewart” I would have believed it was so. (Though maybe a younger photo.) Lesson: all white men with shaved heads look alike
Well, I wasn't there either, primarily because I wasn't invited but also because I wouldn't have gone. Are we SURE that Bezos was invited? If so, yes, hurray for him for declining the invitation. If not, where's the story?
I'd be convinced if you (or someone) could provide a list of people who actually did attend, and it included big newspaper owners, or captains of industry, or anyone whose qualifications were similar to Bezos's. Obviously soccer is huge in Saudi Arabia; that doesn't count.
It includes all of those people: Major CEOs of tech companies, including Tim Cook. Musk was there. Nvidia CEO was there. Venture capitalists, OpenAI CEO, etc.
And yet the Editorial Bored of the newspaper formerly known as the WaPo weighed in with what I would call at best a lukewarm piece on MBS's over-the-top reception by Demento. "Oh yeah, he killed and dismembered one of ours. How naughty of him."
If someone other than MBS had been the guest of honor, Bozo would have been there in his suck-upiest best. The reason he chose to avid this event was optics, period. He didn't think it was a good look to be at a dinner honoring Jamal Khashoggi's murderer. Not that he gives two hoots and a holler about Jamal Khasgoggi. He doesn't.
From these two specific pictures of Infantino and Bezos, it occurred to me that if you took one more step, of about the same size and in the same direction, in what we might call "appearance space", you would end up with Patrick Stewart.
Infantino inhabits a sphere of unctousness and corruption that Bezos can only gaze at with envy.
Infantino is head of FIFA, so it's super redundant to say he's corrupt. Absolutely comes with the territory.
Infantino is going to grant Trump's dearest wish and give him a Peace Prize.
https://apnews.com/article/fifa-peace-prize-infantino-trump-c339695d2cca0f8acd92ff0264ff5ea9
Are we sure it won't be a "piece" prize and that Infantino isn't providing some primo tail for Donnie?
That's quite true.
Eh, I suspect this wasn’t the reason Bezos abstained. But the bar has been lowered so far they had to dig a hole.
Trump’s response to a reporter’s question about Khashoggi, “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about”, demonstrates his amorality. It’s like his infamous, “you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides”, trying to assign moral equivalence where there is none.
It's really distressing that we have three years and two months to go of this abomination.
Always the chance that all those cheeseburgers do their work.
C'mon! Any day now, Cholesterol!
I pray for President Trump. Psalm 109:8.
Did anyone else notice trump reaching out and shaking hands with MBS then pointing it out to the reporters and others in the room saying he took that hand "I don't care where it's been"? I laughed out loud at the shocking implied insult no one seemed to notice, then thought about trump's renowned germaphobia and how that plays into the testimony of so many of the girls at Epstein's, and now think of it in terms of Khashoggi's murder. That hand has been in lots of very dark and nasty places and true - if there's also been enough gold in the palm - trump doesn't care where it's been.
I realized I should clarify I'm not implying MBS was implicated in the Epstein files. I'm saying trump's germaphobia is noted in independent descriptions provided by victims outside of the Epstein files, and I can believe he might be attempting to depict himself as decidedly non-germaphobic... with hilarious results if that's the point of his comment. Either way, imagine you had just shaken someone's hand and they turned around and announced "see? I touched their hand and I don't care Where it's been".
Had you labeled that photo of Bezos “Patrick Stewart” I would have believed it was so. (Though maybe a younger photo.) Lesson: all white men with shaved heads look alike
Well, I wasn't there either, primarily because I wasn't invited but also because I wouldn't have gone. Are we SURE that Bezos was invited? If so, yes, hurray for him for declining the invitation. If not, where's the story?
If Bezos wasn't invited, it was through backchannel negotiations agreeing that he shouldn't be invited. That's how it works.
I'd be convinced if you (or someone) could provide a list of people who actually did attend, and it included big newspaper owners, or captains of industry, or anyone whose qualifications were similar to Bezos's. Obviously soccer is huge in Saudi Arabia; that doesn't count.
It includes all of those people: Major CEOs of tech companies, including Tim Cook. Musk was there. Nvidia CEO was there. Venture capitalists, OpenAI CEO, etc.
Thank you. I think that is pertinent to your write-up. We who are not journalists don't necessarily know these things, and it does affect our votes.
In short,most of the amoral tech oligarchs.
Oh, I think it counts! Morality is not trumped by sports mania!
And yet the Editorial Bored of the newspaper formerly known as the WaPo weighed in with what I would call at best a lukewarm piece on MBS's over-the-top reception by Demento. "Oh yeah, he killed and dismembered one of ours. How naughty of him."
The bar has been set so low, a baby could crawl over it.
or roll over it!
I'm glad you showed the Bezos photo, because looking at the Infantino photo I thought, "Geez Bezos is becoming almost unrecognizable.
If someone other than MBS had been the guest of honor, Bozo would have been there in his suck-upiest best. The reason he chose to avid this event was optics, period. He didn't think it was a good look to be at a dinner honoring Jamal Khashoggi's murderer. Not that he gives two hoots and a holler about Jamal Khasgoggi. He doesn't.
My "Yes, Hooray" vote was more out of respect for your fact finding and research than Bezos' absence.
Imagine the fight that must have broken out over the editorial dept’s response to the visit. That counts more with me. No words minced.
When the rich and powerful like Bezos start to boycott Trump’s disgusting events, perhaps we’re getting close to the tipping point against him.
Or maybe, even Bezos could see that it would look bad for him
The real story is who did show up.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/us/politics/trump-saudi-dinner-guests.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2k8.66NL.sR63F4cOIag6&smid=url-share
From these two specific pictures of Infantino and Bezos, it occurred to me that if you took one more step, of about the same size and in the same direction, in what we might call "appearance space", you would end up with Patrick Stewart.
Apologies to Terri Smith, who noticed this first, and is no relation.
Of mine, I mean.
FIFA, IOC, NCAA; all more corrupt than the Medellin cartel