On the 18th (local time) at the White House in the United States, President Donald Trump, who met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, offered remarks defending the crown prince over the killing of a dissident journalist. The comments directly contradict the contents of a report the U.S. intelligence community released in the past and are expected to spark repercussions.
According to local media including CNN and the New York Times (NYT), President Trump, when asked about dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed by the Saudi government, said, "A lot of people didn't like him, the one you like," adding, "Whether you like him or not, things like that can happen. Bin Salman knew nothing about that incident."
Trump then told ABC News reporter Mary Bruce, who asked the related question, "That's enough," saying, "There is no need to make our guest uncomfortable by asking such a question." He went on to denounce Bruce's subsequent question as "terrible, not obedient, and a really lousy question." He further called ABC News, her employer, a "lousy company," and argued that the network's broadcasting license should be revoked.
CNN said, "This scene was the clearest moment showing that the diplomatic isolation Crown Prince bin Salman has faced since Khashoggi's killing has come to an end," adding, "During this White House visit, the first in seven years, the crown prince was welcomed with courtesies equivalent to a state visit, the highest level of U.S. diplomatic protocol."
Khashoggi, a Washington Post (WP) columnist who had criticized the Saudi government, disappeared after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018, to obtain a visa for his Turkish fiancée. An audio file secured by Turkish intelligence contained sounds of Khashoggi struggling with Saudi agents, the process of his killing, and the sound of a bone saw being used on his body.
Later, in Feb. 2021 under the Joe Biden administration, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) concluded that Crown Prince bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's killing. Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the United States and the crown prince's younger brother, called Khashoggi and said, "We will guarantee your safety, so don't worry and go to the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul to receive the marriage-related documents," and the CIA determined that this call was also made under the crown prince's orders.
Buoyed by President Trump's defense that contradicts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion, Crown Prince bin Salman again denied involvement in Khashoggi's killing that day. He said, "It is painful to hear that someone lost their life for no reason," adding, "We took all necessary measures in Saudi Arabia, including an investigation, and we improved the system to ensure this does not happen again."
Sarah Leah Whitson, head of the U.S.-based nonprofit "Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)" founded by Khashoggi during his lifetime, criticized the Trump administration's lavish treatment of Crown Prince bin Salman, saying it "shows that leaders can be bought." She added, "This means U.S. corporations are effectively allowing a brutal, reckless, and impulsive dictator to amass large stakes in their equity and exercise enormous influence and control across U.S. industry."
President Trump also made a series of remarks praising Crown Prince bin Salman that day. He called the crown prince "one of the most respected people in the world" and "my longtime friend," and said, "His achievements in various fields, including human rights, are remarkable."
The WP noted, "Trump's remarks are the highest-level confirmation yet that Crown Prince bin Salman, visiting Washington for the first time since Khashoggi's killing, will effectively not be held responsible for that incident," adding, "This is not the first time President Trump has appeared to trust the words of a foreign leader over the assessment of his own intelligence agencies."