Donald Trump Minimizes Jamal Khashoggi Killing Amid Saudi Arabian Prince's Presidential Visit
One-time President Trump appeared to shrug off the killing of journalist Khashoggi, labeling him an "very contentious" figure that was unpopular.
Oval Office Talks with Saudi Leader
The statements came throughout a presidential session alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, representing the prince's initial trip since the journalist's death abroad.
American spy agencies had previously concluded that the prince authorized the assassination, however the former president stated that he "had no knowledge" of the incident.
The Former President's Response to Reporter's Inquiry
Donald Trump also criticized the reporter who raised the topic, proposing that the network deserve to lose its broadcasting rights.
"Many people were not fond of that man you mention," the former president commented. "Whether you like him or not, incidents happened, however he had no idea."
The crown prince replied, "It's painful and it's a huge mistake, and we are working hard to ensure it from happening again."
Financial Arrangements and Military Transactions
The discussion further emphasized promised Saudi Arabian funding in the US, first announced at six hundred billion dollars, but later increased to a trillion-dollar sum.
Trump announced his plan to sell advanced F-35 aircraft to the Saudis, notwithstanding reservations from the Israeli government and US intelligence.
Both leaders additionally revealed negotiations about a prospective agreement for Riyadh to normalize ties with Tel Aviv conditional on a sovereign Palestine.
Middle Eastern Issues and Challenges
The proposed F-35 transaction has sparked anxiety in Israel, that currently possesses the advanced plane in the region.
US intelligence are also worried because of Riyadh's strong security ties with the Chinese, bringing up apprehensions over security breaches.
However, the former president insisted that Riyadh deserves comparable top-level planes as the Israelis, noting their role as "good allies" of the US.
Additional Arrangements
In addition to weapons sales, US officials noted plans for multibillion-dollar Saudi Arabian capital in America's AI sector, along with greater cooperation in atomic energy development.
"We can announce that we will raise the proposed investment to around a trillion dollars," the crown prince stated.
Diplomatic Challenges
The former president's government is additionally pursuing an atomic and defense cooperation agreement with Riyadh, which the current government previously pursued but failed to finalize.
However, recent events, such as the October assault and ensuing bombardment in Gaza, have hindered the chances of an agreement.
"Post-October 7, in my view the conditions for Riyadh to commit to relations with Tel Aviv has increased significantly," an ex- US Middle East negotiator commented.
Prospective Negotiations
"We desire to be part the normalization agreements, yet we also want to secure a definite route for Palestinian sovereignty," Prince Mohammed stated.
The former president echoed, noting, "We conducted a productive talk on the Abraham Accords. We spoke about potential solutions."
"We covered about many topics quickly. We plan to explore it further," Trump concluded. "But I think you have a very good feeling regarding normalization."
Controversy Over Commercial Links
The visit further controversial over perceived connections between the former president's family commercial ventures and Middle Eastern nations.
The former president rejected any impropriety, stating he had "relinquished control from his enterprises" and dedicated "all his efforts" to governing.
"I am not connected to do with the family business," he remarked. "Their business dealings is acceptable. They do business all over. They've done very little with Saudi Arabia, actually. I expect opportunities exist. Any dealings they've had has been very good."