US President Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this Tuesday and defended him against accusations over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The CIA gave the involvement as proven, but Trump made a point of saying that “he (bin Salman) knew nothing”.
Khashoggi was murdered in 2018. He was a harsh critic of the Saudi government. Trump told a journalist present at the press conference that he was “referring to someone who was extremely controversial” and that “a lot of people didn’t like this gentleman”, referring to Jamal Khashoggi. And, he explained, “whether you like him or not, things happen, but [bin Salman] I didn’t know anything, and we can leave that here”, even praising bin Salman in “terms of human rights”.
In 2019, a year after the death of Khashoggi, o crown prince took “full responsibility” for the murder, as it occurred under his supervision, but denied ordering the journalist’s death.
According to NBC Newsbin Salman’s visit to the White House, a first, was a display of pomp and circumstance from the President of the USA. Upon arrival, the crown prince was greeted by stealth fighter planes, officers on horseback and a tour of the Rose Garden guided by Trump, who said: “I love the country and the people” of Saudi Arabia. Truth or joke, both mentioned an investment of one million billion, the same as the entire sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, in the USA.