Trump Downplays Jamal Khashoggi Assassination Amid Saudi Arabian Prince's White House Meeting

Former President Donald Trump has largely ignored the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, calling him an "extremely controversial" person who was disliked.

Oval Office Talks with Saudi Crown Prince

The remarks were made during a White House meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking his first visit after Khashoggi's murder in Turkey.

American spy agencies assessed that Mohammed bin Salman authorized the operation, but the former president stated that the crown prince "had no knowledge" about it.

The Former President's Reaction to Journalist's Inquiry

Donald Trump also criticized the news professional who brought up the issue, implying that the media outlet deserve to lose its permit.

"Many people disliked that person you are referring to," Trump commented. "Regardless of your opinion, things occurred, yet he was unaware."

Prince Mohammed responded, "It is distressing and it's a huge mistake, and we are working hard to stop a recurrence."

Economic Arrangements and Military Sales

The meeting also highlighted promised Saudi Arabian spending in America, originally presented at six hundred billion dollars, however subsequently raised to one trillion dollars.

The former president stated his plan to sell top-tier F-35 aircraft to Saudi Arabia, in spite of reservations from the Israeli government and intelligence communities.

The pair additionally revealed talks on a potential arrangement for Riyadh to establish diplomatic links with Tel Aviv conditional on a Palestinian state.

Middle Eastern Tensions and Challenges

The proposed F-35 transaction has raised anxiety among Israeli officials, that has exclusive access to the stealth fighter in the region.

Intelligence officials are apprehensive given Saudi Arabia's strong security ties with China, raising fears regarding intellectual property risks.

However, the former president insisted that Riyadh is entitled to the same high-grade aircraft as the Israelis, pointing to their role as "good allies" of America.

Additional Agreements

Alongside military transactions, US officials stated expectations of multi-billion Saudi funding in America's artificial intelligence sector, along with greater cooperation on atomic energy development.

"We can announce our plan to boost the initial amount to around a trillion dollars," the Saudi leader stated.

Diplomatic Issues

The Trump team is aiming a energy and safety partnership deal with Saudi Arabia, that the current government had tried unsuccessfully to secure.

However, current developments, such as the 2023 incident and subsequent Israeli military actions in the region, have hindered the likelihood of an agreement.

"Post-October 7, I believe the conditions for Saudi to agree to relations with Tel Aviv has risen substantially," a one-time US Middle East negotiator commented.

Future Negotiations

"We wish to be part the diplomatic deals, but we additionally seek to guarantee a concrete plan for Palestinian sovereignty," the crown prince stated.

The former president agreed, saying, "We held a very good discussion about diplomatic ties. We discussed about potential solutions."

"We discussed about a lot briefly. We will continue more details," Trump concluded. "Yet, in my view you have a clear grasp for the Abraham Accords."

Controversy Over Business Interests

The visit additionally controversial over perceived links between Trump's relatives financial activities with Gulf countries.

The former president denied any impropriety, stating he has "withdrawn from his enterprises" while dedicated "full attention" to governing.

"I have nothing regarding the family business," he remarked. "What my family does is permissible. They work worldwide. Their activities are limited with Riyadh, truthfully. I'm sure opportunities exist. And anything they've done has been positive."