(Reuters) - President Donald Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the U.S. military. Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter and the de facto leader of the oil producing bloc, OPEC, which has been criticised by Trump for high oil prices. South Korea and Japan also have the US to thank for stability in the Asian region, according to Trump, who previously demanded increased payments from US allies to keep American bases in their countries. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

“We protect Saudi Arabia. But I said ‘King - we’re protecting you - you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,’” Trump said to cheers at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi. Trump has yet to demand payment for keeping US troops in the oil-rich region, but the US president did urge them to lower oil prices in return for security last week. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay.”‘

Trump didn’t elaborate on when he made the comments to Saud Arabia’s 82-year-old monarch. Trump and King Salman last shared a reported telephone call on Saturday, in which they discussed “efforts to maintain supplies to ensure the stability of the oil market and ensure the growth of the global economy,” according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Trump praised Blackburn as a “true fighter” for the state, telling the crowd, “She’s all about Tennessee values.”

“A vote for Marsha is really a vote for me,” he said. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were “as usual ripping off the rest of the world.”

“We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. “Presidential visits are good for fundraising, but I’ve found that Tennesseans are independent thinkers who can make up their own minds,” Bredesen said in a statement after Trump’s visit. We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices,” Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly.
In a public speech in Southaven, Mississippi, U.S. President Donald Trump claims that Salman of Saudi Arabia's power wouldn't last "for two weeks" without the support of the U.S. military.