In a robust and theatrical defence that has drawn sharp criticism, former US President Donald Trump has publicly exonerated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of any involvement in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, declaring the kingdom’s de facto ruler “knew nothing” about the gruesome killing.
The extraordinary assertion came during the Crown Prince’s first visit to the United States since the scandal, a trip marked by F-35 jet flyovers, cannon fire salutes, and a gala dinner at the White House where Trump formally designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally.
“He knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that,” Trump stated firmly in the Oval Office, rebuking an American journalist who dared to raise the subject. “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
Trump further characterised the late Washington Post columnist as an “extremely controversial” figure. “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” he added. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen.”
The comments stand in direct opposition to a declassified US intelligence assessment from 2021 which concluded with high confidence that Prince Mohammed had approved the operation to “capture or kill” Khashoggi. The journalist was murdered and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents inside the country’s consulate in Istanbul.
Responding to the question, Prince Mohammed described the killing as a “painful” episode. “It was a huge mistake,” he said, reiterating the Saudi government’s long-standing position that rogue operatives were responsible.
The visit, heavily focused on bolstering economic and defence ties, yielded significant agreements. The White House announced a civil nuclear cooperation pact and a “major defence sale package” that includes future deliveries of advanced F-35 fighter jets. The Crown Prince also pledged a staggering $1 trillion in investments in the United States.
However, the spectacle of reconciliation proved deeply painful for Khashoggi’s widow. In a post on the social media platform X, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi wrote, “There is no justification to murder my husband.” She directly addressed the Saudi leader, urging him to “meet me, apologize and compensate me.”
The event also reignited questions about Trump’s potential conflicts of interest. His defence of the Prince coincided with an announcement from a Saudi developer of a new hotel partnership in the Maldives with the Trump Organization, which is run by his sons. When questioned, Trump dismissed the concerns, stating, “I have nothing to do with the family business. I have left.”
At a lavish dinner attended by football star Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire Elon Musk, Trump made the alliance upgrade public. “I’m just telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight,” he revealed, granting Saudi Arabia a status shared by only a handful of other key US security partners.
The former president also confirmed he pressed the Crown Prince to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, though the Saudi leader insisted such a move required a “clear path” to Palestinian statehood first.
