King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his projected victory in the 2020 election on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Why it matters: The Saudi government has been one of the Trump administration's closest allies in the world, with White House adviser Jared Kushner sharing a personal friendship with MBS. Despite pressure from Congress, President Trump stuck by MBS after he was accused of ordering the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The big picture: Trump allies around the world are gradually coming around to the reality that the election is over, even as the president refuses to concede and continues to file long-shot lawsuits over alleged voter fraud.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, another of Trump's top allies, waited more than 12 hours after U.S. networks called the presidential race to offer his congratulations to Biden.
- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also offered their congratulations. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have not yet commented.
