Kicking off their statements to the press during their Oval Office meeting, US President Donald Trump hails Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the “incredible job he’s done… in terms of human rights.”
MBS is making his first visit to the White House since the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which US intelligence concluded was ordered by the Saudi crown prince.
Trump rejects that conclusion, telling a querying reporter in the Oval Office that Khashoggi was “extremely controversial.”
“A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about… but [MBS] knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass [this gentleman] by asking that question,” Trump says.
Bin Salman also denies involvement in Khashoggi’s murder but calls it a “huge mistake” and one that Riyadh is working to ensure does not happen again
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
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