Analysis: Biden tying himself in knots over looming Saudi Arabia visit
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has boasted frequently about his own penchant for truth-telling, reminding the public about his promise to “give it to you straight.”
But in the run-up to a politically uncomfortable meeting later this week with the Saudi crown prince believed to be responsible for the gruesome murder of a journalist, Biden and his top aides have been tying themselves in knots with euphemisms, elisions and even excuses to avoid politically uncomfortable truths.
Whereas President Donald Trump was famous for saying “the quiet part out loud,” Biden’s squeamish unwillingness to utter the obvious — in this instance about his visit to Saudi Arabia — has only drawn more attention to the awkward inconsistencies he’s tried to obscure.
“I want to see how they are laying this visit out — will there be a
