'Don't embarrass him': Trump defends Saudi Prince over Khashoggi's murder
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) against allegations of involvement in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Speaking at the White House, Trump said the prince "knew nothing" about the murder when an ABC News reporter asked why Americans should trust Salman when US agencies concluded he approved the killing. In response, Trump called the channel "fake news" and "one of the worst in the business" before going on to defend MBS.
Trump
'Lot of people didn't like that gentleman'
He said the prince knew nothing about the murder and called the late Washington Post columnist "extremely controversial." "A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about," he said. "Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happened, but he (the prince) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that," Trump defended.
Visit details
Crown Prince's visit and Trump's defense
The Saudi prince, who has committed a $1 trillion investment in the United States during his first visit since the killing, described Khashoggi's murder as "painful" and a "huge mistake." "We've improved our system to be sure that nothing happened like that. And it's painful and it's a huge mistake," he told reporters. Trump then praised MBS for his work on human rights, saying he was "very proud of the job he's done."
Policy change
Deals signed
The two countries later inked a slew of deals. The White House said that they had ratified a "civil nuclear energy cooperation deal" for a multibillion-dollar relationship between the US and the kingdom. Trump also approved a "major defense sale package" that includes "future deliveries" of F-35s. They also agreed to share AI technologies "while protecting US technology from foreign influence." First Lady Melania Trump will later host a gala dinner, which will be attended by football legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Report findings
US intelligence report on Khashoggi's murder
A declassified 2021 US intelligence assessment found that MBS approved Khashoggi's killing. In response to these findings, the Biden administration introduced a "Khashoggi policy," which includes visa sanctions against individuals targeting dissidents and journalists on behalf of foreign governments. Joe Biden had previously distanced himself from MBS, calling Saudi Arabia a "pariah" during his 2020 campaign. However, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sent oil prices soaring, he changed his approach and met with the Crown Prince in Jeddah.
Journo
Who was Khashoggi
Khashoggi, a US-based journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia's government was killed and dismembered on October 2, 2018, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi officials claimed the journalist was killed in a "rogue operation" by a team of operatives assigned to persuade him to return to the country. As a well-known Saudi journalist, he covered major stories, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ascent of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for various Saudi news organizations.