Balance of Power – Episode Summary

Episode: Trump, Eyeing Deals, Defends MBS on Khashoggi
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Bloomberg (Joe Mathieu, Michelle Giam Risco)
Guests: Jane Harman (former Congresswoman), Mike Shepard (Bloomberg), Denver Riggleman (former Congressman), Panel (Lester Munson, Jeannie Shan Zaino)

Overview

This episode centers on the highly publicized White House visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), his whirlwind of investment promises, and the contentious joint news conference with President Trump. The hosts and guests dissect the whirlwind day in Washington, where geopolitical deals, human rights concerns, major shifts in U.S.-Saudi relations, and breaking domestic headlines (Texas redistricting and Epstein files) all collide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump-MBS White House Visit and Announced Investments

• Saudi Investment Pledge: MBS confirmed an increased Saudi investment in the U.S. from $600 billion to a notional $1 trillion, with Trump "jawboning" the number ("there could be a little bit of fuzzy math here…" – [02:31]).
• Investment Targets: MBS expressed Saudi interest in U.S. artificial intelligence and data centers, promising significant U.S. job creation and tech collaboration, while also seeking access to advanced American tech for Saudi infrastructure ([04:28], [05:55]).
• U.S. Deliverables: Ongoing negotiations over export licenses for Nvidia Blackwell chips, with possible announcements on enabling advanced chips and AI infrastructure for Saudi Arabia ([02:31], [04:28]).
• Historical Parallel: Guests note that similar flashy investment numbers and MOUs have appeared in past U.S.-Saudi summits, with skepticism about what is genuinely "new" ([06:12]).

2. Human Rights Tensions – The Khashoggi Question

• ABC Reporter’s Pressing: Mary Bruce of ABC confronted MBS about the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, referencing anger from 9/11 family groups ([03:15]).
• Trump’s Defense of MBS: Trump responded by calling Saudi Arabia "a great leader in human rights" and lauded MBS as "really taking care of business in the right way," prompting incredulity ([03:15], [09:17]).
• Presidential Retort: Trump got testy, even threatening to have ABC’s license revoked ([03:43]).
• Commentary: Jane Harman calls the lack of real human rights discussion "unfortunate," emphasizing the U.S.'s diminished moral authority ([09:17], [15:55]).

3. Strategic Exports: Chips, F35s & Tech Transfer

• Advanced Tech and Arms Deals: Discussions highlight possible approval for Nvidia's Blackwell AI chips and delivery of F35 fighters to Saudi Arabia—traditionally sold only to close U.S. allies like Israel ([09:08], [12:22]).
• Implications for Regional Security: Harman and Riggleman express concern about sensitive military tech transfers, noting risks if Russian or Chinese intelligence can access U.S. military technologies in Saudi hands. Harman notes, "Israel is unhappy about that. It's always had the qualitative edge in military aid" ([12:22]).
• Congressional Blocks & Conditions: Prior U.S. congressional resistance to Saudi arms sales may resurface ([09:17], [12:22]).

4. Geopolitics and the Two-State Solution

• Saudi-Israeli Normalization: MBS ties possible recognition of Israel to a path toward a two-state solution, a point supported by Harman: "I as an American strongly believe that that is in Israel's security interest to agree to a path to two states" ([11:26]).
• Trump’s Goal: Trump frames his diplomacy as a pathway to "settle wars, get huge numbers on the board" ([11:56]).

5. U.S. Domestic Political Earthquakes

• Texas Redistricting Ruling: Breaking news interrupts the program—a federal court struck down Texas’ GOP-drawn congressional map, jeopardizing efforts to secure more Republican seats ([13:46], [19:00]).
• Reactions: See discussions about nationwide implications, tit-for-tat mapping with California, and the risks of increasing partisan gerrymandering ([14:41], [19:58]).
• Trump’s Pressure Tactics: Trump applies direct public pressure on state-level Republicans to push for favorable redistricting, warning, "Soon... he will have a primary problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity" ([21:20]).

6. Releasing the Epstein Files

• Congressional Vote on Release: House poised to vote—possibly unanimously—for releasing Jeffrey Epstein-related files, with doubts expressed about whether DOJ investigations would actually allow for full release ([17:13], [24:17]).
• Political Theater vs. Substance: Guests suggest much of the file-related activity is "Kabuki theater," unlikely to alter the political calculus while the current administration remains ([35:01]).

7. Panel Analysis: Partisanship, Policy, and Global Stakes

• Redistricting Arms Race: Both panelists (Munson and Shan Zaino) decry the high-stakes tit-for-tat gerrymandering between states, warning it erodes democratic legitimacy ([21:20], [22:55]).
• Republican Pushback: Increasing instances of Republicans dissenting from the President’s wishes, indicating cracks in party unity ([22:55]).
• Ukraine and Foreign Policy Drift: Former Congressman Riggleman raises fears that issues like support for Ukraine risk being crowded out, and that superficial "business wins" with Saudi Arabia may harm U.S. tech security and global standing ([36:04], [36:46]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Saudi Investment:

"The president saying, and it was MBS who detailed this, that they're increasing the investment from 600 billion to a trillion trillion. I don't know exactly what all that money is going to go to..."
— Joe Matthew, [01:57]

On Announcing Old Deals as New:

"Announcing monies that have already been allocated has been a recurring factor for this president."
— Joe Matthew, [02:31]

On Human Rights and Khashoggi:

"Saudi Arabia was actually a great leader in human rights is how Trump framed it and talked about his friend really taking care of business in the right way. So pretty, pretty remarkable..."
— Michelle Giam Risco, [03:15]

"No discussion of human rights and no real discussion of human rights here today either, which I thought was unfortunate."
— Jane Harman, [09:17]

On Tech Transfers and Security Risks:

"If we're providing chips or F35s, we're providing technology, advanced technologies... the Russians are there also with their technologies, they can exploit what we have without us having insight into that."
— Denver Riggleman, [29:31]

On Two-State Solution:

"If Trump wants to settle wars, get huge numbers on the board... this torrent of words was in the correct direction."
— Jane Harman, [11:56]

On Redistricting and Gerrymandering:

"This redistricting arms race is very troubling to someone like me who was strongly for the commissions in California... I just think it's a tragedy to the voters..."
— Jane Harman, [14:41]

On Trump's Pressure Tactics:

"He will have a primary problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity."
— Quoting Trump’s Truth Social post, Joe Matthew, [21:20]

On the Nature of Political Scandal:

"The best way to, for a squid to escape is to squirt a lot of ink. And I think you know, so I think what you're seeing is a massive amount of ink-squirting going on in Congress right now."
— Denver Riggleman, [35:01]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• White House Trump-MBS visit/press conference: [01:07]–[05:55]
• Tech and chips, U.S.-Saudi investment specifics: [05:55]–[09:08]
• Human rights, F35 deals, expert analysis (Jane Harman): [09:08]–[13:46]
• Breaking: Texas redistricting ruling: [13:46]–[15:37]
• Panel: Redistricting, party pressure, Trump’s tactics: [19:00]–[24:01]
• Epstein files and political theater: [24:01]–[25:55]
• Denver Riggleman on tech transfer/AI, defense risks: [28:55]–[34:23]
• Ukraine and U.S. global posture: [36:04]–[39:33]

Tone and Character

The episode features sharp, newsy dialogue and at times incredulous commentary—particularly around headline-grabbing overtures from Trump, the pageantry of the MBS visit, and the spectacle of the day’s news. Humor, skepticism, and pointed observation prevail throughout, especially as the day’s remarkable confluence of politics, policy, and scandal unfold live.

Conclusion

This marathon episode encapsulates a day when domestic and foreign policy, statecraft, spectacle, and scandal all intersected in Washington. The hosts and expert guests push past surface pageantry to probe the real stakes—whether in terms of U.S. foreign influence, values, or the health of American democracy itself. The deals made, the questions dodged, and the tensions unearthed leave listeners with a sense of the high-wire balancing act at play in both American governance and international relations.