John Bolton Defends Trump’s Support for Saudi Crown Prince Amid Khashoggi and 9/11 Controversy

Former national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday publicly defended President Donald Trump’s recent remarks supporting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), addressing renewed scrutiny over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and long-standing questions about Saudi links to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Bolton’s comments and 9/11

Bolton, who was federally indicted last month, told host Blake Burman on “The Hill on NewsNation” that he sees no evidence the government of Saudi Arabia directed the 9/11 attacks and reiterated that Osama bin Laden was the mastermind. He acknowledged that Saudi nationals participated in the hijackings but argued there is no proven government-to-government involvement.

“There were Saudis involved in the hijacking of all the planes,” Bolton said. “But in terms of government-to-government relations, I think we’ve seen four presidents now agree that it shouldn’t affect the relations between Riyadh and Washington. I think that’s the correct judgment.”

Khashoggi’s killing and the U.S. assessment

Burman pressed Bolton about Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in September 2018. A U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that the crown prince approved an operation to capture or kill the journalist — a finding that has been central to criticism of MBS.

“The president spoke to the king, MBS’s father. We spoke, I spoke to MBS. Others did as well. They denied their involvement, and I’m not going to get into specifics, but I would say within the administration, there was a difference of exactly how effective that CIA analysis was,” Bolton said.

Bolton emphasized that U.S. strategic interests with Saudi Arabia — including regional security, energy and defense cooperation — weigh heavily in decisions about the bilateral relationship. “In absolute, cold-blooded national interest terms, we’ve got a lot at stake with Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Meeting outcomes and fallout

During a White House meeting with President Trump, the crown prince said Saudi authorities investigated Khashoggi’s death, charging five people and later commuting a death sentence to lengthy prison terms. The leaders also discussed potential arms deals, including proposed sales that could involve F-35 fighter jets, mineral investments and other technology agreements. Both were scheduled to attend the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center later that day.

Reactions from families and Khashoggi’s widow

The visit drew sharp criticism. 9/11 Families United said the crown prince “knows nothing of the pain” and accused him of impeding efforts to surface evidence of Saudi government support for al-Qaeda and the hijackers. Terry Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United, said their group and members of Congress remain unconvinced by the prince’s explanations.

“He is actively working to impede our efforts to ensure extensive evidence of Saudi government support for al-Qaeda and the terrorist hijackers are brought to light … We aren’t buying it, our allies in Congress aren’t buying it, and neither are the American people,” Strada said.

Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, posted on the social platform X that “there is no justification to murder my husband,” and urged the crown prince to meet her, apologize and compensate her for Jamal Khashoggi’s death. She described her late husband as courageous and dedicated to press freedom, even if some disagreed with his views.

Context and next steps

The debate highlights continuing tensions between holding leaders accountable for human rights abuses and maintaining strategic partnerships. U.S. officials, members of Congress, victims’ families and human rights advocates continue to press for transparency and justice in both the Khashoggi case and in inquiries into any possible official links to the 9/11 plot.