Jake Tapper Scoffs at Spox’s Claim that Biden Has Held Saudis Accountable: ‘I Don’t Know What Repercussions You’re Talking About’

TAPPER The New York ░░░░░░░░ is reporting that the ░░░░░░░░ Administration and Saudi officials ░░░░░░░░ discussing terms of a ░░░░░░░░ defense treaty that would ░░░░░░░░ what the U S ░░░░░░░░ with two of its ░░░░░░░░ allies with Japan and ░░░░░░░░ South Korea which are ░░░░░░░░ in hopes that we ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia to normalize ░░░░░░░░ with Israel Are you ░░░░░░░░ to share any details ░░░░░░░░ that KIRBY Well there ░░░░░░░░ no agreed framework here ░░░░░░░░ working towards normalization I ░░░░░░░░ just say that we ░░░░░░░░ to encourage both sides ░░░░░░░░ pursue normalization We think ░░░░░░░░ with Israel is not ░░░░░░░░ good for Israel and ░░░░░░░░ Israeli people but for ░░░░░░░░ region writ large And ░░░░░░░░ we think it will ░░░░░░░░ a more integrated cooperative ░░░░░░░░ stable Middle East We ░░░░░░░░ have and will continue ░░░░░░░░ work with Saudi Arabia ░░░░░░░░ their defense needs They ░░░░░░░░ real defense needs Now ░░░░░░░░ s been a 18 ░░░░░░░░ truce now in Yemen ░░░░░░░░ that s good There ░░░░░░░░ t been as much ░░░░░░░░ coming across that border ░░░░░░░░ southern Saudi Arabia But ░░░░░░░░ know that Saudi Arabia ░░░░░░░░ legitimate defense needs We ░░░░░░░░ going to continue to ░░░░░░░░ on them for the ░░░░░░░░ and you know seeing ░░░░░░░░ that architecture can look ░░░░░░░░ going forward TAPPER Can ░░░░░░░░ United States have a ░░░░░░░░ defense treaty with Saudi ░░░░░░░░ that it has with ░░░░░░░░ such as South Korea ░░░░░░░░ Japan Saudi Arabia is ░░░░░░░░ a democracy It has ░░░░░░░░ atrocious human rights record ░░░░░░░░ U N has said ░░░░░░░░ the Saudi led war ░░░░░░░░ Yemen you just noted ░░░░░░░░ ceasefire but it s ░░░░░░░░ in mass killings of ░░░░░░░░ one of the worst ░░░░░░░░ made humanitarian crises in ░░░░░░░░ world Plus of course ░░░░░░░░ spies have said the ░░░░░░░░ of Washington Post s ░░░░░░░░ Khashoggi Washington Post journalist ░░░░░░░░ Khashoggi was ordered specifically ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Crown Prince MBS ░░░░░░░░ s just remind our ░░░░░░░░ this is what candidate ░░░░░░░░ said about Saudi Arabia ░░░░░░░░ the campaign trail Clip ░░░░░░░░ Biden We were going ░░░░░░░░ in fact make them ░░░░░░░░ the price and make ░░░░░░░░ in fact the pariah ░░░░░░░░ they are There s ░░░░░░░░ little social redeeming value ░░░░░░░░ the in the president ░░░░░░░░ in Saudi Arabia Clip ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER He sounds very ░░░░░░░░ when he talks about ░░░░░░░░ Arabia today KIRBY Well ░░░░░░░░ there s no question ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia is a ░░░░░░░░ partner has been for ░░░░░░░░ 80 decades It s ░░░░░░░░ no question as the ░░░░░░░░ as you just heard ░░░░░░░░ president hasn t been ░░░░░░░░ about expressing our concerns ░░░░░░░░ Saudi behavior But this ░░░░░░░░ a strategic partnership We ░░░░░░░░ to keep moving forward ░░░░░░░░ need to do that ░░░░░░░░ have been repercussions for ░░░░░░░░ Arabia The president declassified ░░░░░░░░ information around the Khashoggi ░░░░░░░░ We need to also ░░░░░░░░ at the future of ░░░░░░░░ Middle East and what ░░░░░░░░ needs to look like ░░░░░░░░ just for the Saudi ░░░░░░░░ the Israeli people but ░░░░░░░░ American national security interest ░░░░░░░░ I don t want ░░░░░░░░ get ahead of where ░░░░░░░░ discussions are Jake But ░░░░░░░░ are important discussions and ░░░░░░░░ re going to continue ░░░░░░░░ have them with our ░░░░░░░░ and partners there because ░░░░░░░░ threat from Iran is ░░░░░░░░ going anywhere And that ░░░░░░░░ felt by Israel that ░░░░░░░░ felt by Saudi Arabia ░░░░░░░░ other of our partners ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER I don t ░░░░░░░░ what repercussions you re ░░░░░░░░ about I mean like ░░░░░░░░ a look at this ░░░░░░░░ of President Biden from ░░░░░░░░ few days ago with ░░░░░░░░ Prince Mohammed bin Salman ░░░░░░░░ is shaking his hand ░░░░░░░░ s smiling at him ░░░░░░░░ the president bummed that ░░░░░░░░ photo was made public ░░░░░░░░ isn t actually not ░░░░░░░░ one I was talking ░░░░░░░░ There s another one ░░░░░░░░ Biden is looking right ░░░░░░░░ MBS and smiling at ░░░░░░░░ Is the president bummed ░░░░░░░░ the photo was made ░░░░░░░░ KIRBY No look the ░░░░░░░░ Prince put his hand ░░░░░░░░ the president shook it ░░░░░░░░ shook a lot of ░░░░░░░░ there at the G20 ░░░░░░░░ was a gathering of ░░░░░░░░ world leaders to work ░░░░░░░░ problems that we can ░░░░░░░░ still try to solve ░░░░░░░░ people around the world ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure investment economic multilateral ░░░░░░░░ banks There s a ░░░░░░░░ that was discussed Crown ░░░░░░░░ was a part of ░░░░░░░░ discussions and the president ░░░░░░░░ happy to have a ░░░░░░░░ of discussions with world ░░░░░░░░ to all those ends.”