Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince over Khashoggi killing
19th Nov. 2025
On November 18, 2025, US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman met at the Oval Office. While their discussions mainly centered on a new bilateral deal, Trump’s remarks about the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi drew significant public attention. During this meeting, he defended bin Salman, insisting that the crown prince “knew nothing” about the incident. His statement, however, has reignited long-standing diplomatic and ethical questions surrounding the case.
After the journalist assassination, it was the first visit of Bin Salman to US, which shook up the US-Saudi alliance. While briefing the press, Trump shot back at the reporter who asked him about the 2018 journalist Assassination. On questioning, the President answered, “You’re mentioning someone who was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about, whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen.” “But, Bin Salman knew nothing about it. You don’t have to embarrass our guests.” Trump concluded.
On that note, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman responded, “We did all the right steps to investigate the killing, which was painful and a huge mistake”. But, something raised doubts in this whole conversation, because Trump’s comment itself contradicts a 2021 US Intelligence assessment. The report concluded that the crown prince personally approved the operation that led to Khashoggi’s killing in Istanbul in 2018.
What Did the US Intelligence Assessment Conclude in 2021?
In 2021, when President Joe Biden was leading the country, a US intelligence report was released. It stated that the crown prince had agreed to a plan to “capture or kill” Khashoggi in Istanbul. But later, when Donald Trump began his first term, White House officials refused to released the reports. After the killing, dozens of Saudi leaders were hit with sanctions, but none of them were directly aimed at the crown prince.
Why Did President Trump and Crown Prince Bin Salman Meet on November 18?
When Trump had a trip to Saudi Arabia in May 2025, they locked a deal of $600 billion as a commitment of the Middle East Country to invest in the United States. Now, when they met again on Tuesday at the Oval Office, Bin Salman stated, “We are going to invest more than that. This time, it will be $1 trillion”. “This deal is mostly work on civilian nuclear power, technology, especially in AI”, he emphasized.
The Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to the US continued with a gala dinner on Tuesday night, followed by an investment summit on Wednesday. Another highlight of the dinner was Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined them in the dinner as he plays in the Saudi professional league.
Web Resources on Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince
1. Reuters.com: Trump says visiting Saudi crown prince knew nothing about Khashoggi killing
2. Politico.com: Trump defends Saudi crown prince, who US intelligence found ordered killing of Washington Post columnist
3. BBC.com: ‘Things happen’ – Trump defends Saudi crown prince
4. CNN.com: Trump claims slain journalist Khashoggi was ‘extremely controversial’