Trump gets royal welcome in Qatar with convoy of red cybertrucks and camels following fighter-jet escort

DOHA, QATAR: Donald Trump recently received a royal welcome in Qatar. 

On Wednesday, May 14, the president’s motorcade cruised through the streets of Doha, Qatar, led by a pair of Tesla Cybertrucks.  

But these weren’t your average Cybertrucks. They had red-painted hoods and were part of Qatar’s Internal Security Force, known as Lekhwiya. The bold red accents popped in contrast to Trump’s otherwise all-black convoy.

The display looked like a not-so-subtle show of support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been under fire lately. The billionaire, who also happens to be the head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tagged along with the American delegation as they kicked off a three-nation Middle East tour.

Tesla has had a rough time amid Musk's push to cut federal staff and spending. In fact, the POTUS went so far as to publicly buy one of Musk’s vehicles in March in a show of good faith, the New York Post reported. 

Air Force One flanked by Qatari fighter jets

Donald Trump’s arrival in Qatar was nothing short of theatrical. Before touching down in the Gulf state, Air Force One got a VIP escort of eight fighter jets that blazed a path through the skies as the presidential plane approached.

Once on the ground, Trump stood at attention and saluted while the American National Anthem played inside the Amiri Diwan. It was posted on the White House’s Rapid Response X account.

The fanfare continued as Trump shook hands with Qatari officials, while Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani greeted the US delegation. 

“We’ve been friends for a long time,” Trump said as he sat down with Al-Thani. “We’ve liked each other and we’ve worked with each other and now we can work in the highest capacity and we will bring peace not only here, but I know you’re very much involved in helping us in other regions, like what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.”

He also hinted that “good news” may be on the horizon in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine talks.

Donald Trump compliments the Qatari extravagance 

While touring the Amiri Diwan, the official state building of Qatar, Trump couldn’t stop gushing over the architecture. “This is what they call perfecto,” he said of the marble detailing. “Just a great job you’ve done and what a beautiful place.”

“That was some greeting,” Trump grinned. “We appreciate it very much,” he added, throwing in that he hadn’t “seen camels like that in a long time.” 

For his part, Al-Thani was just as enthusiastic. “We are extremely honored to have you here,” he said. “It’s a historic visit, and I don’t know if you know, you are the first American president officially to visit Qatar, so we are very honored.”

Trump has had quite a change of heart when it comes to Qatar. Back in 2017, he was publicly slamming Qatar for allegedly funding terrorism.

“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level, and in the wake of that conference, nations came together and spoke to me about confronting Qatar over its behavior,” he said at the time.

“So we had a decision to make:  Do we take the easy road, or do we finally take a hard but necessary action?  We have to stop the funding of terrorism,” Trump added at the time.

Donald Trump witnesses horse parades and golf cart rides in Saudi Arabia  

Before touching down in Qatar, Donald Trump got an equally lavish reception in Saudi Arabia. His plane was met by another fighter jet escort. After landing, the president saw riders on white Arabian horses trotting alongside his motorcade. 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally chauffeured Trump to a state dinner in a golf cart—a subtle nod to Trump’s well-known obsession with the game.

Of course, the Saudis weren’t taking any chances when it came to the optics. 

Everything was so tightly choreographed that journalists were basically locked out of the action. Reporters were kept so far from the main events that they couldn’t even shout questions. In one case, they were asked to pledge not to shout.

So far, Trump’s Middle East visit has been one royal welcome after another.