Greeting a ruthless dictator is a tricky proposition, as Joe Biden discovered late last week. On Friday, during his first visit to the Middle East as president, Biden met with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Alsalam Royal Palace. Biden’s reported goal? To not appear too friendly with MBS, especially given the president’s very vocal campaign promises to turn the kingdom into a “global pariah.” Biden’s success in achieving that by offering a fist bump instead of a handshake? Total failure, according to Trevor Noah.
The Daily Show host had a hell of a time mocking the president, whose approval rating has dropped to what Noah described as “somewhere between long COVID and [the] Uvalde Police Department’s.” Inflation and skyrocketing gas prices (though they are now dropping) aren’t doing Biden any favors in that department, which is why, according to Noah, the president spent the weekend in Saudi Arabia “making nice with a frenemy who just happens to own a lot of oil.” But the biggest news to come out of the visit was Biden’s bruh-like greeting of the human rights nightmare, who is believed to be behind the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Noah was amused by how the entire situation played out:
“It’s funny how Biden thought it would be better to fist bump Mohammed bin Salman, because that seems less friendly than a handshake? That’s the whitest decision of all time… Because it’s the opposite. Handshakes are the most formal way to meet someone, even your enemy… But fist bumps? It’s almost like, ‘Ayyyy… What’s up? What’s up, killer? I see you. I see you, man. I see you, player!’”
If Noah had been at the wheel, he would have suggested that Biden go “in for the handshake, and then given him the ‘Psych!’ Just do that move. There’s no comeback for that. Devastating!”
You can watch the full segment above, beginning around the 3:30 mark.