‘How do you sleep at night?’: Trump’s unscripted question to Saudi Crown Prince raises eyebrows — Here's the context

During a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump drew attention with an unscripted question directed at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS): “How do you sleep at night?”

The remark came during a speech at a royal gathering in Riyadh, where Trump addressed a room filled with global business leaders. It was part of his first international trip since returning to office for a second term.

Turning to the crown prince mid-speech, the 78-year-old president asked, “Mohammed, do you sleep at night? How do you sleep?” — a moment that briefly stunned the audience before Trump clarified his meaning.


The comment, though unexpected, was meant as praise. Trump was lauding MBS’s resilience in the face of criticism, crediting him for transforming Saudi Arabia into a global economic powerhouse. “He tosses and turns like some of us,” Trump said. “It's the ones who don’t toss and turn — they’ll never take you to the promised land.”

Throughout his address at the Saudi Royal Court, Trump highlighted his admiration for the kingdom’s transformation under MBS’s leadership. “Critics said it couldn’t be done — but in just eight years, Saudi Arabia has proved them completely wrong,” he declared, drawing a standing ovation.

Trump also underscored the deepening U.S.-Saudi ties. “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” he quipped, referring to diplomatic moves such as lifting sanctions on Syria at MBS’s request.

Despite ongoing criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, Trump described the kingdom as “the center of the world,” adding, “The United States is the hottest country — except, perhaps, yours.”

Trump’s visit focused on strengthening economic and security partnerships in the Middle East. Major trade deals expected to generate billions in investments were central to the agenda.

High-profile figures including Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were also part of the U.S. delegation.