‘You Lose’: Saudi's MBS Trolls Bookies Who Bet He’d Wear A Suit, In Nod To Trump–Zelenskyy Spat

Last Updated:November 19, 2025, 22:12 IST

Mohammed bin Salman joked about betting sites and suits at the White House, amusing Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump greets Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, during a dinner at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman left US President Donald Trump laughing when he ended his remarks on Tuesday saying that betting sites had placed bids on whether he’d be wearing a suit to the White House dinner.

The Saudi crown prince received a lavish welcome at the White House on Tuesday, comparable to the treatment extended to American leaders when they visit the kingdom.

This was his first trip to the US since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, an incident that triggered global outrage and briefly turned the heir into an international pariah.

The state visit also stood out because the crown prince is not Saudi Arabia’s formal head of state, though that did not prevent Trump from rolling out the red carpet for the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

“Before I came here someone told me that there are betting sites where you can bet on me wearing a black suit and if you bet on me you could get almost a 17x. Sorry, you lose the bet. Better luck next time!" Salman said.

Salman’s quip was a possible reference to the suit spat between US President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that grabbed headlines globally.

In February 2025, the Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned heated shortly after the opening handshake. A reporter from the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice, Brian Glenn, asked Zelenskyy: “Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level in this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?"

Zelenskyy snapped back: “Do you have a problem?"

He explained he would only wear a suit “after the war is finished." Trump, who had earlier cheekily told the press that Zelenskyy was “all dressed up today", joined the jibe.

During Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s second visit to the White House in August 2025, the exchange over his attire resurfaced when he walked in wearing an all-black jacket, shirt and slacks by Ukrainian designer Viktor Anisimov.

Glenn, the reporter who had previously questioned why Zelenskyy did not wear a suit during his February meeting with Donald Trump, greeted him this time with, “You look fabulous in that suit."

Trump echoed the compliment, adding to Zelenskyy, “Isn’t that nice? That’s the one that attacked you last time."

Zelenskyy replied with a quick quip: “You are in the same suit. I changed, you did not," drawing laughter from the room.

News world ‘You Lose’: Saudi's MBS Trolls Bookies Who Bet He’d Wear A Suit, In Nod To Trump–Zelenskyy Spat

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