Overview
- In the Oval Office, President Trump said Mohammed bin Salman "knew nothing" about Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder and described the journalist as "extremely controversial," adding "things happen," contradicting a 2021 CIA assessment.
- Trump gave the crown prince red‑carpet treatment at the White House, brought him together with top U.S. CEOs, and emphasized deepening economic and security ties, Reuters reported.
- Analysts quoted by Reuters say the episode crystallizes a broader repurposing of U.S. human-rights policy toward transactional dealmaking and selective pressure on adversaries.
- The Washington Post editorial board and press‑freedom advocates condemned Trump’s comments as beneath the office and emboldening to autocrats, with critics such as Sen. Bernie Sanders warning of damaged U.S. credibility.
- The crown prince called Khashoggi’s killing "a huge mistake" and said Saudi Arabia is working to prevent a recurrence, a response editorialists deemed insufficient compared with U.S. intelligence findings.