Trump defends Mohammed bin Salman over killing of Jamal Khashoggi, claiming Saudi crown prince
US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader knew nothing about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in the Istanbul consulate in 2018.
Trump made the remark during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office.
His claim conflicts with a 2021 US intelligence report that implicated figures close to the crown prince in the operation.
Trump added that “a lot of people didn’t like” Khashoggi.
The crown prince called the killing a “huge mistake.”
Both men also discussed closer economic ties.
Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia would invest $1 trillion in the United States.
A White House reporter said Trump seemed genuinely fond of the crown prince and shared jokes during the meeting.
An official confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi club Al-Nassr, is due to appear at the White House later.
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