Sen. Chris Murphy discuses the infamous Biden-MBS ‘fist bump’

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., joins Yahoo News’ “Skullduggery” podcast to discuss the “divergence” in the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Speaking about the controversy surrounding an image of President Biden greeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a fist bump during a recent state visit, Murphy tells Yahoo News, “I’m just so sick of talking about it. The president of the United States should be able to talk to the crown prince. Frankly, I think the United States should be talking to our adversaries too.”

Video Transcript

MICHAEL ISIKOFF: As you point out, our divergence with the Saudis has been coming for quite some time. Yet there's one enduring image that the American public has now about our relationship with Saudi Arabia, and that was the fist bump between President Biden and Mohammed bin Salman in July when the president went there. Now, I know you have said that you don't want to criticize the president for meeting with a foreign leader.

But the fist bump stands out as an image. And I just want to read you something quickly that Fred Ryan, the publisher of the "Washington Post," said at the time. The fist bump between President Biden and MBS was worse than a handshake. It was shameful. It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption he has been desperately seeking. In retrospect, was the fist bump a mistake?

CHRIS MURPHY: Oh my god, I'm just so sick of talking about it. I mean--

MICHAEL ISIKOFF: Why?

CHRIS MURPHY: Because they were fist bumping because of COVID protocols. I mean, they weren't fist bumping because they're good buddies. They were fist bumping because they made the decision that COVID protocols didn't allow them to shake hands. I mean, I just think this is so overwrought.

The United States has a relationship with Saudi Arabia. The President of the United States should be able to talk to the Crown Prince. I, frankly, think the United States should be talking to our adversaries too. I think the United States should be talking to the Iranians. I think we should be in dialogue with the North Koreans. I think occasionally we should be talking with the Russians.

MICHAEL ISIKOFF: Should we be talking to Vladimir Putin?

CHRIS MURPHY: Yeah. Well, I mean, listen, we have to. We are constantly talking to many of our adversaries because we often have some shared interests, side by side, with those places where we have deep friction. So I just don't think there's any harm in the United States talking to the Saudis.

And this idea that the fist bump portrayed some level of intimacy is nonsense. The fist bump was a substitution during protocol-- because of COVID protocols for a handshake.