Trump dismisses US intelligence, defends Saudi prince over 2018 killing of Khashoggi

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed US intelligence findings that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likely had some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his first White House visit in seven years.

The US-Saudi relationship had, for a time, been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom.

But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Trump is tightening his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince, who he said is an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come.

Trump in his defence of the crown prince derided Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and said “a lot of people didn’t like that gentleman.” Prince Mohammed denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, who was a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.

“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of the international incident when asked about it by a reporter during an Oval Office appearance with Prince Mohammed. “But (Prince Mohammed) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”

But US intelligence officials determined that the Saudi crown prince likely approved the killing by Saudi agents of US-based journalist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to US findings declassified in 2021 at the start of the Biden administration. Trump officials, during his first administration, refused to release the report.

Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia “did all the right steps” to investigate Khashoggi’s death.

“It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake,” he said.

Trump, who said the two leaders have become “good friends,” even commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.

“What’s he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else,” Trump said.

New investment from Saudis

The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the US to USD 1 trillion, up from USD 600 billion that the Saudis announced they would pour into the United States when Trump visited the kingdom in May.

Echoing rhetoric that Trump likes to use, the crown prince used the moment to flatter the Republican leader by calling the US the “hottest country on the planet” for foreign investment.

“What you’re creating is not about an opportunity today. It’s also about long term opportunity,” Prince Mohammed said.

Trump’s family has a strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, London real estate developer Dar Global announced that it plans to launch Trump Plaza in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

It’s Dar Global’s second collaboration with the Trump Organisation, the collection of companies controlled by the US president’s children, in Saudi Arabia.

Trump pushed back on suggestions that there could be a conflict of interest in his family’s dealings with the Saudis.

“I have nothing to do with the family business,” Trump said.

Trump’s comments about Khashoggi’s and defense of his family’s business in Saudi Arabia were blasted by human rights and government oversight activists.

Human rights groups say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom. They also note a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.

“President Trump has Jamal Khashoggi’s blood on his hands,” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director for DAWN, a US-based group advocating for democracy and human rights in the Arab world that was founded by Khashoggi. Jarrar added, “Trump has made himself complicit in every execution and imprisonment MBS has ordered since.”

Rolling out the red carpet

Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the US Marine band.

Technically, it’s not a state visit, because the crown prince is not the head of state. But Prince Mohammed has taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father, King Salman, 89, who has endured health problems in recent years.

Trump showed the prince the newly-installed Presidential Walk of Fame that features gold-framed images of past presidents along the West Wing colonnade and a photo of an autopen signing the name of Biden in place of the Democrat’s official portrait.

Later, Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed the crown prince for a black-tie dinner in the White House East Room. The boldface names who attended included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Trump at the dinner announced he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally as the administration aims to elevate the two nations’ military relationship. The designation, while largely symbolic, provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation.

Trump and Prince Mohammed will attend an investment summit at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday that will include the heads of Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer, the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron and Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil and natural gas company, where even more deals with the Saudis could be announced.

Fighter jets and business deals

On the eve of Prince Mohammed’s arrival, Trump announced he has agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the US technology behind the advanced weapon system. The White House announced the two leaders formalized the F-35 agreement Tuesday as well as a deal for the Saudis to purchase nearly 300 tanks from the US.

They also signed agreements signifying closer cooperation on capital markets and critical minerals markets, as well as efforts against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Trump’s announcement on the fighter jets was surprising because some in the Republican administration have been wary about upsetting Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbours, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his Gaza peace plan.

Abraham Accord talks

The visit comes at a moment when Trump is trying to nudge the Saudis toward normalising relations with Israel.

The president in his first term had helped forge commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates through an effort dubbed the Abraham Accords.

Trump sees expansion of the accords as essential to his broader efforts to build stability in the Middle East after the two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Getting Saudi Arabia — the largest Arab economy and the birthplace of Islam — to sign on would spur a domino effect, he argues.

But the Saudis have maintained that a path toward Palestinian statehood must first be established before normalizing relations with Israel can be considered. The Israelis remain steadfastly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of a two-state solution,” Prince Mohammed said.