US President Donald Trump has said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew nothing about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as he welcomed the kingdom's de facto ruler to the White House.
Trump's comments appeared to contradict a US intelligence assessment in 2021 which determined the crown prince had approved the operation that led to Khashoggi's death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
The crown prince, who has denied any wrongdoing, said at the White House that Saudi Arabia did all the right things to investigate Khashoggi's death.
It was his first visit to the US since the assassination, which sent shockwaves through the US-Saudi relationship.
In the Oval Office, Trump responded to a reporter's question about Khashoggi's killing, saying, You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen.
But he [the Crown Prince] knew nothing about it, Trump added. You don't have to embarrass our guests.
The crown prince stated that Saudi Arabia did all the right steps to investigate the murder, referring to it as painful and a huge mistake. A US intelligence report made public in 2021 determined that the crown prince had approved a plan to capture or kill Khashoggi.
While dozens of Saudi officials faced sanctions following the assassination, no measures were directed at the crown prince himself, despite Saudi Arabia's rejection of the report as negative, false and unacceptable.
Khashoggi's widow urged the crown prince to apologize, highlighting the lack of justification for her husband's murder. The meeting between Trump and Mohammed bin Salman included discussions about US-Saudi investments and military deals, including the potential sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets, which has raised concerns in Israel regarding its military edge in the region.
Trump emphasized the strength of the US-Saudi relationship and projected optimism over future collaborations, despite the dark cloud of Khashoggi's murder lingering over their discussions.
