Why Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder Still Haunts US-Saudi Ties

On Nov. 18, President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. Trump, eager to attract investment and boost ties with the oil-rich kingdom, said the kingdom’s de facto ruler “knew nothing about” the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

“A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” Trump said after being asked about Khashoggi while sitting with the crown prince, known as MBS, in the Oval Office. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen, but [MBS] knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.”