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Trump Defends MBS at White House, Threatens ABC as Saudi Deals Touted

The pageantry signaled a U.S.–Saudi reset anchored in investment promises despite the CIA’s 2021 assessment that MBS approved Khashoggi’s killing.

Overview

  • Mohammed bin Salman received state-style honors in his first White House visit in more than seven years, with military fanfare and an East Room gala.
  • President Trump said the crown prince “knew nothing” about Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder and called the slain journalist “extremely controversial,” brushing aside the intelligence conclusion released in 2021.
  • Trump berated ABC’s Mary Bruce and said the network should lose its broadcast license, a threat rooted in a misstatement of FCC authority over national networks.
  • The leaders touted prospective big-ticket arrangements, including potential F‑35 sales, civil nuclear cooperation, and a Saudi plan to lift U.S. investments from about $600 billion to roughly $1 trillion.
  • At the prince’s request, Trump said he would begin trying to help address Sudan’s civil war, casting it as a new priority after their talks.