President Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Oval Office and defended him against a 2021 U.S. intelligence assessment linking the prince to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mohammed pledged up to $1 trillion in potential U.S. investment and called the killing "a huge mistake" and "really painful." Trump rebuked a reporter who raised the assessment and labeled the outlet "fake news." The meeting highlighted tensions between economic ties and human rights concerns.
Trump Defends Saudi Crown Prince During Oval Office Visit After U.S. Intelligence Linked Him to Khashoggi Killing
President Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Oval Office and defended him against a 2021 U.S. intelligence assessment linking the prince to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mohammed pledged up to $1 trillion in potential U.S. investment and called the killing "a huge mistake" and "really painful." Trump rebuked a reporter who raised the assessment and labeled the outlet "fake news." The meeting highlighted tensions between economic ties and human rights concerns.
09:19 PM, 11/18/2025Politics
Oval Office Meeting and Tensions Over Khashoggi Assessment
President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Oval Office on Tuesday, defending the crown prince when reporters raised a U.S. intelligence assessment that concluded he ordered the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The visit was Mohammed's first trip to the United States since the Biden administration's 2021 assessment. Minutes earlier in the Oval Office, the crown prince pledged up to $1 trillion in potential investment in the United States — a centerpiece of the meeting that drew immediate attention.
Exchange With Reporters
When asked about the intelligence findings, Mr. Trump moved quickly to the crown prince's defense.
"He's done a phenomenal job," the president said, later adding, "Things happen, but he knew nothing about it."
Trump also rebuked the reporter who raised the assessment, saying, "you don't have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that," and he called the outlet, ABC News, "fake news."
Saudi Response and the Crown Prince's Statement
Saudi officials have rejected the U.S. intelligence conclusions and say they have punished those responsible for Khashoggi's death. Speaking in the Oval Office, Mohammed characterized the killing as painful for Saudis and described it as "a huge mistake," saying, "we are doing our best that this doesn't happen again."
The exchange underscored the diplomatic balancing act between pursuing strategic economic and security ties and addressing human rights concerns tied to one of the kingdom's most prominent figures.
Felicia Schwartz contributed to this report.