President Donald Trump dismissed US intelligence findings that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had knowledge of the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the crown prince “knew nothing about it.”
Trump hosted the Saudi leader at the White House during Prince Mohammed’s first visit to Washington in seven years. Relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia had been severely strained by the operation that resulted in Khashoggi’s death; the journalist had been one of the kingdom’s most prominent critics.
Those tensions now appear to have fully dissipated. President Trump has warmly re-embraced the crown prince, whom he has repeatedly described as an indispensable figure for shaping the Middle East for decades to come.
During the visit, Trump defended Prince Mohammed and characterised Jamal Khashoggi as “extremely controversial,” adding that “a lot of people didn’t like” the Washington Post columnist. The crown prince has consistently denied any involvement in the killing.
“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of Khashoggi’s murder. Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and legal resident of Virginia, was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. “But [Prince Mohammed] knew nothing about it,” Trump continued. “And we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
U.S. intelligence officials, however, concluded that Prince Mohammed likely approved the operation in which Saudi agents killed the U.S.-based journalist, according to findings that were declassified in 2021 during the early days of the Biden administration, according to international media house.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for his part, told reporters that Saudi Arabia “did all the right steps” to investigate Khashoggi’s death. “It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake,” he acknowledged.
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Trump also praised the crown prince for what he described as major progress on human rights in the kingdom. “I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” the president said. “What he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”
Trump’s staunch defense of the Saudi leader drew sharp criticism from human rights organisations and government-watchdog groups.
Advocates pointed out that Saudi authorities continue to suppress dissent through the arrest of human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents who criticise the kingdom. They also highlighted a rising number of executions in recent years, which they described as part of a broader campaign to silence internal opposition.
Robert Weissman, co-president of the watchdog organisation Public Citizen, condemned the president’s remarks, stating: “Trump’s shameful and disgusting comments about the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi cannot be separated from Trump’s personal business interests with the Saudi regime.”
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