Trump dismisses findings that Saudi prince likely aware of Khashoggi killing

US president Donald Trump has dismissed US intelligence findings that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman likely had some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The dismissal came as Mr Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his first White House visit in seven years.

The US-Saudi relationship had, for a time, been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Mr Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom.

But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Mr Trump is tightening his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince, who he said is an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come.

Mr Trump, in his defence of the crown prince, derided Mr Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and said “a lot of people didn’t like that gentleman”.

Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Mr Khashoggi, who was a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.

“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Mr Trump said of the international incident when asked about it by a reporter during an Oval Office appearance with Prince Mohammed.

“But (Prince Mohammed) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”

But US intelligence officials determined that the Saudi crown prince likely approved the killing by Saudi agents of the US-based journalist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to findings declassified in 2021 at the start of the Biden administration.

Trump officials, during his first administration, refused to release the report.

Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia “did all the right steps” to investigate Mr Khashoggi’s death.

“It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake,” he said.

Mr Trump even commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.

“I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” said Mr Trump, who said the two have become “good friends”.

“What’s he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”

Former US president Joe Biden labelled the oil-rich kingdom a “pariah” state in the early days of his successful 2020 White House run.

After taking office, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince.

But eventually Mr Biden determined that freezing out the Saudis was not tenable as oil prices spiked following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Democrat even paid a visit to Prince Mohammed in Jeddah in July 2022 of that year to urge the kingdom and fellow members of the Opec+ oil cartel to pump more oil to alleviate high fuel prices caused, in part, by the war in Europe.

The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the US to one trillion dollars, up from 600 billion dollars that the Saudis announced they would pour into the United States when Mr Trump visited the kingdom in May.

Echoing rhetoric that Mr Trump likes to use, the crown prince used the moment to flatter the Republican leader by calling the US the “hottest country on the planet” for foreign investment.

“What you’re creating is not about an opportunity today. It’s also about long term opportunity,” Prince Mohammed said.

Mr Trump’s family has a strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, London real estate developer Dar Global announced that it plans to launch Trump Plaza in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

It is Dar Global’s second collaboration with the Trump Organisation, the collection of companies controlled by the US president’s children, in Saudi Arabia. Last year, the two companies announced the launch of Trump Tower Jeddah.

Mr Trump has rejected suggestions that there could be a conflict of interest in his family’s dealings with the Saudis.

“I have nothing to do with the family business,” Mr Trump said.

Trump’s comments about Khashoggi’s and defence of his family’s business in Saudi Arabia were blasted by human rights and government oversight activists.

Human rights groups say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom. They also note a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.

“Trump’s shameful and disgusting comments about the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi cannot be separated from Trump’s personal business interests with the Saudi regime,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of the government watchdog group Public Citizen.