What Each Stands to Gain | The Crown Prince & the President (full documentary) | FRONTLINE (PBS)

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:04:17 +0000

Martin Smith examines the alliance between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Donald Trump in this 90-minute documentary.

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What is behind the alliance between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and what are the ramifications for the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the Middle East as a whole?

Answers unfold in “The Crown Prince & the President,” the latest documentary from an award-winning team that includes directors, writers and producers Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria, and co-producers Scott Anger and Jennifer Brooks.

“‘The Crown Prince & the President’ is based on over 100 interviews I have done in the U.S. and abroad,” says Smith, who also serves as correspondent and has covered the U.S.-Saudi relationship for more than 20 years. “Our investigation is an incisive look at the forces binding the two men and their countries together, and what each stands to gain — from ambitions for a new Middle East, to arms deals, investments and personal profit.”

Over the course of the documentary, that story is told with insights from former U.S. officials and diplomats, members of the Saudi government, Trump administration insiders, Saudi dissidents, human rights and foreign policy experts, and journalists who have covered financial ties between the Trump family and Saudi Arabia.

What emerges is a sharp chronicle of how the alliance between the crown prince who promised reform and the Trump administration has grown, despite MBS’ crackdown on dissent and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in which MBS denied involvement.

The documentary also offers a powerful examination of the Trump administration’s foreign policy strategy for Saudi Arabia, and the implications for the surrounding region, the U.S. and the world.

“The Crown Prince & the President” is a FRONTLINE production with Rain Media. The correspondent is Martin Smith. The co-producers are Scott Anger and Jennifer Brooks. The writers, producers and directors are Marcela Gaviria & Martin Smith. The managing editor of FRONTLINE is Andrew Metz. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.

Explore additional reporting on “The Crown Prince & The President” on our website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/front....line/documentary/the

#Documentary #SaudiArabia #UnitedStates #MohammedbinSalman #MBS #DonaldTrump

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