President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed a question about the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, calling the slain Saudi journalist “extremely controversial” and insisting the topic was raised only to embarrass Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his high-profile visit to the White House.
“You’re mentioning somebody who was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman,” Trump said in the Oval Office, where he hosted the crown prince for his first U.S. trip since Khashoggi’s killing. “Whether you liked him or didn’t like him, things happen.”
Trump also asserted that the crown prince — whom a 2021 U.S. intelligence assessment concluded likely approved the assassination — “knew nothing about it.”
The remarks underscored how fully Mohammed bin Salman’s diplomatic isolation has ended. His arrival on the South Lawn featured military pageantry, a cavalry escort, and a flyover of U.S. fighter jets, including F-35s that Trump said he intends to sell to Riyadh. A black-tie East Room dinner was planned for later in the evening.
Inside the Oval Office, Trump praised the crown prince’s “incredible” human rights record, highlighted new Saudi investments in the United States, and reaffirmed plans to expand security cooperation. The crown prince, however, stopped short of endorsing several U.S. priorities during the joint appearance.
When ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce asked about Khashoggi’s murder, Trump bristled. “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that,” he said.
The crown prince appeared unfazed. Calling the killing “painful” and “a huge mistake,” he said Saudi Arabia conducted a full investigation and pledged it would “not happen again.”
Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, condemned Trump’s comments, telling CNN that labeling her husband “controversial” did not justify his murder. She urged the crown prince to apologize directly and compensate the family.
The Washington Post, where Khashoggi was a columnist, criticized Trump’s remarks in an editorial, calling them “beneath the office of the president.”
Despite years of tension, Trump has revived close ties with Riyadh — a contrast to President Joe Biden’s earlier vow to treat Saudi Arabia as a “pariah.” Trump visited the kingdom in May and has pushed for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords by normalizing relations with Israel.
But the crown prince on Tuesday said such a step would require a “clear pathway” toward a Palestinian state. He also declined to commit immediate funding for Gaza reconstruction, though he said discussions were ongoing.
Saudi Arabia, he added, will increase its U.S. investment pledge from $600 billion to $1 trillion — an amount nearly equal to its annual economic output.
Trump signaled readiness to support a defense pact and help develop a Saudi civilian nuclear program, emphasizing longstanding personal ties between the two leaders.
“I just want to thank you,” Trump said. “We’ve been really good friends for a long period of time. We’ve always been on the same side of every issue.”
