Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump
Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over Khashoggi Murder
US President Donald Trump fiercely defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting the prince “knew nothing” about the murder during his first visit to the White House since the incident.
Trump hosted the Saudi royal with a lavish dinner and a military flypast, formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, while dismissing questions about Khashoggi’s death from journalists as an attempt to embarrass the prince. He described Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and criticized ABC News for asking about the murder.
The crown prince, who pledged a $1 trillion investment in the US, called the murder “painful” and a “huge mistake,” though US intelligence in 2021 had concluded that Prince Mohammed ordered the operation inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi officials have blamed rogue agents.
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Following the meeting, Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, said on social media that there was “no justification to murder my husband” and called for an apology and compensation from the prince.
The US-Saudi summit included high-profile attendees such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Elon Musk, and resulted in multiple agreements, including a civil nuclear cooperation deal, a major defense package with future F-35 fighter deliveries, and collaboration on artificial intelligence technology.
Trump also discussed regional diplomacy, urging Prince Mohammed to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, while the crown prince emphasized the need for a “clear path” to Palestinian statehood.
Trump’s visit highlighted his ongoing close ties with Saudi leadership, amid pledges of investment deals involving the Trump Organization, which he insisted posed no conflicts of interest.
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