The primary elements of the historic arms side of the strategic agreement today is to position Saudi Arabia to enhance its own defense capability.  Over time this will lessen the concern or need of U.S. military forces or deployment.

The United States will manufacture, sell, train and support over $110 billion in U.S. hardware to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (explained below). In return, the Saudi government has committed over $350 billion in additional bilateral trade imports and investments.

[U.S. Department of State] Today, in a significant expansion of the more than seven-decade long security relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the President and Secretary Tillerson attended a signing ceremony for almost $110 billion worth of defense capabilities to be conveyed via Foreign Military Sales Letters of Offer and Acceptance and a Memorandum of Intent to support Saudi Arabia’s defense needs.

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The size and scale of the pageantry is directly related to the scope of expressed respect.

Update: Video Added

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A good day simply becomes a great day when you get to see T-Rex and Wilburine dancing with sabers.

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir hold a briefing shortly after President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman signed a series of agreements, including a historic military sales deal.

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More than a dozen horses flanked the presidential limousine on Saturday as President Donald J Trump was driven to the Royal Court in Riyadh, where he received Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honor from King Salman.

The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud is Saudi Arabia’s highest honor and is presented by King Salman.  The royal family and government of Saudi Arabia have shown incredible respect and appreciation for this visit from President Trump.

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President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Arrive in Riyadh Saudi Arabia for Day #1 of the Arab Islamic American Summit.  Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud personally greets the visiting U.S. dignitaries.

The royal family of Saudi Arabia are presenting the highest level of royal diplomatic treatment for the first family.  Such honors are rarely seen for international guests.

(Via Daily Mail) President and Mrs. Trump flew to the capital Riyadh overnight on Air Force One – becoming the only president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president.

His arrival following a 6,700-mile flight was met with the pomp usually reserved for a Papal welcome in South America.   The president got the red carpet treatment – literally – and airport workers took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat.

There were 30 US flags at the ready, a tiny fraction of the thousands that line streets and highways between the airport and the city center. (link)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sean Spicer Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

A deep and well researched study from Harvard University finds the media coverage of President Trump is jaw-droppingly negative.

[…]  Trump’s coverage during his first 100 days was negative even by the standards of today’s hyper-critical press. Studies of earlier presidents found nothing comparable to the level of unfavorable coverage afforded Trump. (link)

Click Graphic to Review Entire Study

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Darnit, shuddup Dersh, you’re giving away the play.  Lefty Alan Dershowitz rightly points out the appointment of a “special counsel” is tantamount to putting cheese on a nothingburger.   There is no legal risk to President Trump within any of the moonbat declarations currently gripped like political life-preservers by his opposition.

However, Dershowitz also recognizes the danger to his like-minded colleagues in political office.  The only criminal acts factually evidenced so far are the intelligence leaks. Robert Mueller has all the power he needs to investigate the illegal leaking of classified information.

This entire ‘muh Russia’ fiasco could have, and in my estimation ‘will have‘, the absolute opposite result the loony left is looking for.

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Donald Trump has a history of this exact strategy.  He creates such angst amid his opponents they drive themselves to the furthest extreme in opposition.  Once they are in their crazy-space the Donald just laughs; their rabid thrashing and over-the-top displays of condescending anger create such friction they self-immolate.

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In January of 2015 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi began a journey of peace by asking the holiest and most influential Islamic Scholars in the Arab world to join him in stepping away from the noise of extremist voices and engaging in long-term introspective review of their Islamic faith.  President al-Sisi called for a religious revolution to focus Islam toward a future of peace.  The engaged Dar al-Iftaa scholarly audience erupted in applause.

President al-Sisi stood up, resolute, spoke of large truths with bold leadership, and took great risk upon himself.  After the speech a coalition of like-minded voices began to grow in number and consequence.   That moment became the pebble dropped in the shoe of the Arab leadership of consequence – the emphasis shifted toward peace.

That influential speech, and more importantly the leadership of all joining member states, including the praise of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia before his untimely death, paved the way forward toward this upcoming weekend.   King Abdullah’s successor, his brother King Salman, is now positioned to put his own footprint in history.

All of the necessary elements, many of them taking years to organize, are aligned in common purpose for this specific moment in time.

More than a dozen heads of state from Arab and Islamic nations have been invited by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to attend the conference with President Trump including: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egypt), King Abdullah III (Jordan), Muhammad Fuad Masum (Iraq), Mamnoon Hussain (Pakistan) and all six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE).  All are expected to be in attendance.

We are living in one of those rare moments when we are fortunate enough to see the building blocks of historic enterprise being erected while we watch.  The results of these next several days will shape how our children view the landscape of the middle east in all the years to come.

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