US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by defending Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, claiming MBS “knew nothing” about it, despite CIA findings to the contrary.
Trump described Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and stated, “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen, but [MBS] knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.”
The Saudi crown prince, who has consolidated power and is now Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, expressed regret over Khashoggi’s death, calling it “painful and a huge mistake”. He also defended Saudi Arabia’s investigation into the murder, saying they “did all the right steps”.
Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, criticized Trump’s comments, stating that her husband’s opinions didn’t justify his assassination. “This is not justification to murder him. Jamal was a good, transparent, and brave man,” she said.
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