WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump, seated beside the person the CIA discovered had ordered the homicide and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, on Tuesday advised that perhaps the Washington Put up journalist had introduced his destiny upon himself.
“You’re mentioning somebody that 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 happened,” Trump instructed reporters within the Oval Workplace after which chastised the reporter who requested the query for disrespecting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to his face.
“He knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that,” Trump mentioned.
For his half, bin Salman claimed he had nothing to do with the assassination of the outstanding critic of his regime on the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2, 2018.
“It’s really painful to hear, you know, anyone that been losing his life for, uh, you know, no real purpose or nothing illegal, uh, and it’s been painful for us in Saudi Arabia. We did all the right steps of, uh, investigation, et cetera, in Saudi Arabia,” bin Salman mentioned. “And we’ve improved our system to be sure that nothing happened like that, and it’s painful, and it’s a huge mistake, and we are doing our best that this doesn’t happen again.”
The CIA, below Trump’s management, concluded simply six weeks after the homicide that the killers acted at bin Salman’s route, killing Khashoggi after which reducing up his physique with a bone noticed to take away it from the consulate with out attracting consideration. And years later, Saudi authorities haven’t prosecuted any senior figures within the plot and proceed to jail and execute regime critics.
Trump ignored that evaluation as he bathed bin Salman in reward as a part of a red-carpet welcome for him that features a state-visit-like formal dinner, though bin Salman just isn’t but the pinnacle of state.
“I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” Trump mentioned. “What he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else, and he’s the crown prince, the future king.”
Trump’s private enterprise is concurrently making main agreements with Saudi Arabia that would enrich Trump personally by hundreds of thousands. Trump, although, claimed that he has nothing to do with it and that it’s solely run by his youngsters.
“I have nothing to do with the family business I have,” he mentioned. “What my family does is fine.”
Trump mentioned the identical factor throughout his first time period. These statements had been confirmed false in testimony that emerged throughout his civil and felony trials in recent times.
Along with a lavish welcome, Saudi Arabia will even be permitted to purchase F-35 fighter jets, among the many most superior stealth warplanes america makes, though Protection Division officers fear that doing so could make it simpler for China to get its fingers on that expertise.
