Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were Saudi nationals. Osama bin Laden himself was Saudi-born (from a wealthy construction family), and he deliberately recruited many Saudis, partly for the propaganda value and partly because Saudis could obtain U.S. visas relatively easily at the time. In late August 2025, a federal judge in New York decided that Saudi Arabia can face a civil lawsuit alleging the kingdom sponsored, aided and supported the al-Qaeda hijackers. The case is now proceeding toward trial. The Trump family's ties to Saudi Arabia stretch back decades and have grown substantially since Trump's first term. No conflicts there, no offense to survivors of 9/11. Just badness.