Remember that time when Joe Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” during a debate?

Yes, in what was one of many promises made during a debate, Biden promised to treat Saudi Arabia like outcasts over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, plus other vague threats that sounded great as soundbites, but have never come to pass in any way.

Foriegn policy took center stage in Wednesday night’s Democratic debate, with former Vice President Joe Biden saying he would not sell weapons to Saudi Arabia — marking a sharp contrast with the Obama administration — and stressing he would make the Saudis “pay the price” for their killing of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.”

“I would make it very clear we were not going to in fact sell more weapons to them,” Biden said. “We were going to in fact make them pay the price, and make them in fact the pariah that they are.” Biden also said there is “very little social redeeming value in the present government in Saudi Arabia,” and, in reference to Yemen, said he would end “end the sale of material to the Saudis where they’re going in and murdering children.”

And then Biden became president, and found out that living up to that promise was a whole lot harder than expected. Especially when gas is over $5 a gallon, and you’re really hoping that the Saudis might give you some more. Even after French President Macron told Grandpa Joe in a the most diplomatic way to “forget it” because the Saudis were at capacity, Team Biden seems very convinced that the Saudis have oil just sitting in barrels in massive secret warehouses somewhere in the desert.

So old Joe is going to Saudi Arabia, proverbial hat in hand, to make nice with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, try and patch up diplomatic relations, eat some crow, and hope that the Saudis’ short term memories are as bad as Joe Biden’s. It does make one wonder – does Biden even remember what he said during that debate in 2019?

U.S. President Joe Biden will hold bilateral talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his leadership team, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, when he visits the Middle East next week, a White House spokesman said on Thursday.”

The U.S. president’s sensitive trip will test his ability to reset relations with Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, who he previously denounced as a pariah.”

Biden needs oil-rich Saudi Arabia’s help at a time of high gasoline prices at home and as he encourages efforts to end the war in Yemen after the Saudis recently extended a ceasefire there. The United States also wants to curb Iran’s influence in the Middle East and China’s global influence.”

White House spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Thursday that Biden’s trip will include such a meeting (with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman).”

“The president will sit down in a bilateral meeting with the Saudi king and his leadership team,” Kirby said. “As you know, the crown prince is on that leadership team. So he will be a part of that meeting.”

“So certainly, the president will be seeing the crown prince in the context of that larger bilateral discussion.”

Yeah, I’m sure this won’t be awkward AT ALL. Leaving out the fact that Biden has a hard time stringing two sentences together, exactly how is this conversation going to play out? “Hey, Crown Prince, man, sorry about calling you a pariah a couple of years ago. And saying that your government had little social redeeming value. Politics, man, amirite? I tell you, being stuck in my basement for the 2020 campaign was really the BEST. Sooooo… let’s talk about oil. How much ya got?”

The progressive left is not happy with Biden right now.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., criticized President Biden for planning to visit the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and going back on his campaign promise to make Saudi Arabia a pariah state. On “America Reports” Thursday, Khanna called out the “irony” of President Biden “begging Saudi Arabia for oil” despite the president exporting American oil to other countries including China.”

Oh yes, that tiny little detail about how Biden sent oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the Netherlands, India, and CHINA. The SPR is now at the lowest level since 1987. It’s not supposed to be a piggy bank that presidents can tap into whenever they feel like it.

But what does Joe Biden care if he depletes the SPR? After all, it’s not like he’s going to be around after 2024 to deal with it.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click