"Blood and Oil": The Rise of Mohammed bin Salman with Justin Scheck

In our latest episode, A'ndre and Ryan speak with Justin Scheck, the co-author of Blood and Oil: Mohammed Bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Power, about the Saudi Crown Prince whose ambitious and swift rise portends significant developments for the Middle East. Justin discusses how MBS, initially thought to be a reformer, has courted many prominent leaders in the United States and elsewhere, highlighting the importance of financial power coupled with political power in Saudi Royal politics. He then talks about bin Salman's brutal tactics in consolidating power and the type of political repression that MBS employs -- touching on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Justin provides an analysis on the relationship between MBS and President Donald Trump, in the context of a broader assessment on U.S.-Saudi relations in the past and looking to the future -- especially as we grapple with questions on the state of bin Salman's true power.