‘Don’t embarrass our guest’: Trump jumps in after Saudi Arabia Crown Prince questioned on Jamal Khashoggi murder; MBS calls brutal killing ‘mistake’
US President Donald Trump stepped in sharply when a reporter asked Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, urging the press not to “embarrass our guest” during the prince’s high-profile visit to Washington. When the journalist identified himself from ABC, Trump shot back, “You are fake news,” before insisting that the crown prince “knew nothing about that” and should not be confronted during an official welcome.The crown prince, making his first trip to the White House since the killing, called the brutal operation a “mistake,” adding that Khashoggi had “lost his life for no real purpose” and that it remained “painful.” He said Saudi Arabia was doing its best to ensure such an incident “does not happen again.”Trump also hailed Saudi Arabia’s human rights record calling the Crown Prince’s work ‘incredible’.“I’m very proud of the job he’s done. What he’s accomplished is incredible — in human rights and in other areas,” Trump added.The White House rolled out an elaborate reception, including cannon fire, a military flypast featuring F-35 fighters and a full ceremonial welcome on the South Lawn. Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi league, was also expected to join the day’s events.Trump hailed the kingdom as a “great ally,” touting $600bn in Saudi investment commitments in the United States and signalling that the figure “could go up a little bit higher.”He confirmed he would proceed with the sale of F-35 fighters to Riyadh, despite concerns in Washington and Israel about technology security and regional military balances. The visit will also see the signing of a framework for civilian nuclear cooperation and the announcement of new Saudi investment in US artificial intelligence infrastructure.Behind the pageantry, the two sides are expected to discuss security guarantees, regional tensions, the fragile post-war situation in Gaza and the long-term question of normalising relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel — a goal Trump has repeatedly pursued, though Riyadh insists progress on Palestinian statehood must come first.
