One of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show’s most corrosive effects on our culture has been to take complicated policy questions, dumb them down to a cliché for the sake of a cheap laugh, and then claim they were cutting through the political spin by getting to the heart of the issue. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s trip to Washington has put Middle East policy at the forefront of the national discourse, but for host-of-the-week Ronny Chieng on Wednesday, the reason why President Trump likes MBS and not New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is because the former gives him money.
Chieng kicked off the show by playing a clip of Trump and MBS in the Oval Office, “Yesterday was a big day at the White House, because Donald Trump got to have a playdate with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and all-around great guy who definitely doesn’t hold a grudge, and I, Ronny Chieng, have no problems with. And the two of them couldn’t keep Trump’s hand off each other.”
At the end of the clip, Trump joked, “And Trump doesn’t give a fist pump. I grab that hand. I don’t give a hell where that hand’s been. I grab that hand.”
Chieng retorted, “What the hell was that? That was the worst handshake I’ve ever seen. That was like the 9/11 of handshakes. And once again, Saudi Arabia is involved. Okay. And Trump, why are you wondering where his hand has been? You’re the one whose hand is decomposing, I mean.”
As for why MBS was even there in the first place, Chieng asked and answered, “Now you might be wondering, ‘Wait, how is Donald Trump best friends with MBS? Isn’t Trump the ‘Muslim ban’ guy? Didn’t he just spend a month calling Zohran Mamdani a terrorist?’ Well, the difference is that Zohran Mamdani is a Shia Muslim whose family comes from Uganda by way of India. Whereas MBS is giving Trump money.”
That led to another clip, this one of ABC’s Mary Bruce, “The Trump Organization already has multiple projects in Saudi Arabia, including Trump towers in Jeddah and Riyadh and a Trump Plaza in the works. In the last year alone, the Trump Organization’s Saudi partner pumping more than $20 million into the family business.”
Chieng reacted, “Wow, three Trump Towers in Saudi Arabia? See? America can [bleep] up your skyline, too.”
For the comedy shows, the only reason why Trump could want to meet with MBS is because they have a mutual hatred of journalists and because Saudi Arabia is a key part in the Trump family’s money-making schemes.
The fact that the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership goes back to FDR doesn’t matter to them. Nor does the fact that the previous administration, which they all supported, also tried to get our two most important Middle East partners—Israel and Saudi Arabia—to normalize relations. Reducing complicated questions about the geopolitics of the Middle East to a quip about Trump Towers in Jeddah and Riyadh may allow liberal audiences to laugh at the Republican president’s expense, but it does not allow them to come to a fuller understanding of the actual issues.
Here is a transcript for the November 19 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
11/19/2025
11:00 PM ET
RONNY CHIENG: Yesterday was a big day at the White House, because Donald Trump got to have a playdate with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and all-around great guy who definitely doesn’t hold a grudge, and I, Ronny Chieng, have no problems with. And the two of them couldn’t keep Trump’s hand off each other.
MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN: We’ve worked with all presidents.
DONALD TRUMP: Does Trump blow them all away?
BIN SALMAN: It’s another league, Mr. President.
REPORTERS: Mr. President. Mr. President—
TRUMP: And Trump doesn’t give a fist pump. I grab that hand. I don’t give a hell where that hand’s been. I grab that hand.
CHIENG: What the hell was that? That was the worst handshake I’ve ever seen. That was like the 9/11 of handshakes. And once again, Saudi Arabia is involved. Okay. And Trump, why are you wondering where his hand has been? You’re the one whose hand is decomposing, I mean.
Now you might be wondering, “Wait, how is Donald Trump best friends with MBS? Isn’t Trump the “Muslim ban” guy? Didn’t he just spend a month calling Zohran Mamdani a terrorist? Well, the difference is that Zohran Mamdani is a Shia Muslim whose family comes from Uganda by way of India. Whereas MBS is giving Trump money.
MARY BRUCE: The Trump Organization already has multiple projects in Saudi Arabia, including Trump towers in Jeddah and Riyadh and a Trump Plaza in the works. In the last year alone, the Trump Organization’s Saudi partner pumping more than $20 million into the family business.
CHIENG: Wow, three Trump Towers in Saudi Arabia? See? America can [bleep] up your skyline, too.
