Congress Welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Despite Khashoggi Link as Major Deals Loom

President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington this week, offering a warm reception that has drawn surprisingly little opposition on Capitol Hill despite lingering questions about the crown prince’s alleged role in the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The visit centers on high-stakes diplomatic and commercial talks: lawmakers and administration officials discuss a proposed defense agreement, the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh, a possible civilian nuclear cooperation accord, and a Saudi pledge to invest as much as $1 trillion in U.S. projects. Many of those details remain unresolved or vague.

Mixed Congressional Response

Many House leaders from both parties plan to meet the crown prince at a White House reception and an investment conference this week. Several senior lawmakers described Saudi Arabia as strategically essential for U.S. interests in the Middle East and urged continued engagement.

Sen. Lindsey Graham — who seven years ago warned against being “willfully blind” to the crown prince’s alleged role in Khashoggi’s death — said this week he prefers to focus on the future. “I think he’s the future of the Mideast,” Graham said, reflecting a pragmatic shift among some Republicans.

At the same time, a number of Democrats and a smaller group of Republicans registered concern. Some urged caution about human rights accountability and stressed the need to separate strategic cooperation from possible conflicts of interest tied to the president’s business relationships.

Deals on the Table — But Few Details

The administration announced a new defense understanding with Saudi Arabia, though officials provided few specifics. President Trump said the crown prince “knew nothing” about Khashoggi’s death and suggested the United States may move forward with major arms sales, including F-35s, and explore civil nuclear cooperation.

Lawmakers who support sales emphasized technical and security questions — notably which F-35 variant would be provided and the timeline for training pilots and integrating systems — rather than flat opposition. Some urged that any nuclear cooperation include strict nonproliferation safeguards modeled on recent regional agreements.

Human Rights, Transparency and Conflicts of Interest

Human rights concerns remain a prominent counterweight to transactional diplomacy. Several members insisted the U.S. intelligence community’s findings about Khashoggi cannot be ignored and called for continued scrutiny. Others voiced worries that personal or family business ties could influence policy choices.

Members pointed to ongoing business discussions between U.S.-based companies with Saudi partners, and to prior Saudi investments linked to Trump-affiliated ventures. The White House has maintained that the president’s family business is managed by his adult children and that he is not personally involved in day-to-day operations.

Calls for Guardrails on Nuclear Cooperation

Senior Democrats on foreign policy committees urged that any civilian nuclear agreement be tightly controlled to prevent fuel diversion and regional proliferation. “We must not fuel a nuclear arms race in the Middle East,” one senator warned, calling for rigorous safeguards and transparency standards.

“Any nuclear cooperation should meet the highest nonproliferation standards and include robust verification measures,” a senior committee member said.

Public and Editorial Reaction

The president’s effusive welcome drew criticism from commentators and some lawmakers who described the approach as politically risky and strategically unclear. At the same time, proponents argued that normalizing ties with Riyadh serves important security and economic interests.

As discussions continue, many in Congress signaled they will weigh strategic benefits against human rights considerations and demands for transparency. The final shape of any agreements and the level of congressional support remain uncertain.