Trump says MBS “knew nothing” about journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing regardless of 2021 U.S. intel report’s findings

President Trump stated Tuesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often called MBS, “knew nothing” in regards to the 2018 homicide of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, regardless of a 2021 intelligence report discovering bin Salman ordered the killing.

“You are mentioning any individual that was extraordinarily controversial,” Mr. Trump stated about Khashoggi in response to a query from a journalist about his enterprise dealings with bin Salman regardless of the intelligence report’s findings. “Lots of people did not like that gentleman that you just’re speaking about, whether or not you want him or did not like him, issues occur, however he knew nothing about it and we are able to go away it at that.”

Bin Salman is making his first go to to the White Home since Khashoggi’s homicide. Bin Salman has denied any involvement, however he informed CBS Information’ Norah O’Donnell in a 2019 “60 Minutes” interview, “I take full duty as a pacesetter in Saudi Arabia, particularly because it was dedicated by people working for the Saudi authorities.”

The 2021 U.S. intelligence report concluded that “the Crown Prince has had absolute management over the Kingdom’s safety and intelligence organizations, making it extremely unlikely that Saudi officers would have carried out an operation of this nature with out the Crown Prince’s authorization.”

After Mr. Trump’s feedback Tuesday, Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Khashoggi, directed a message on social media to him, writing, “There isn’t a justification to homicide my husband.”

“Whereas Jamal was a superb clear and courageous man many individuals might not have agreed along with his opinions and need for freedom of the press,” she wrote.

Mr. Trump insisted he has “nothing to do” along with his household’s enterprise dealings with Saudi Arabia, and insisted “they’ve finished little or no with Saudi Arabia, really.”

Mr. Trump referred to as bin Salman his good friend and praised him as “unimaginable on human rights and every thing else” because the Saudi royal made his first go to to the White Home since Khashoggi’s killing.