🔗 Share this article

Former President Donald Trump has largely ignored the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, describing him as an "extremely controversial" individual that was not well-liked.

Oval Office Meeting alongside Saudi Arabian Crown Prince

These comments were delivered during a White House session with the Saudi crown prince, marking the prince's initial trip after the journalist's death in Turkey.

US intelligence had previously concluded that the Saudi leader had ordered the killing, yet the former president insisted that the crown prince "was unaware" of the incident.

Trump's Reply to Reporter's Inquiry

Trump further rebuked the news professional who brought up the matter, proposing that the broadcaster deserve to lose its license.

"Many people disliked that gentleman you are referring to," Trump commented. "Regardless of your opinion, things occurred, however he had no idea."

The Saudi leader stated, "It hurts and a significant blunder, and we are striving to stop such incidents in future."

Financial Deals and Military Sales

The meeting additionally showcased promised Saudi Arabian spending in America, first announced at six hundred billion dollars, however potentially expanded to one trillion dollars.

Trump confirmed his plan to provide advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Riyadh, in spite of objections from Israel and intelligence communities.

The two men further acknowledged talks regarding a possible deal for Riyadh to formalize relations with Israel in exchange for a two-state solution.

Middle Eastern Concerns and Complications

The potential sale of F-35s has triggered alarm among Israeli officials, that currently possesses the F-35 in the region.

American spy agencies have expressed concern given the kingdom's close military cooperation with China, raising concerns regarding security breaches.

Nevertheless, Trump maintained that the kingdom should receive comparable top-level aircraft as the Israelis, citing them being "reliable friends" of America.

Additional Deals

Besides military transactions, American authorities mentioned expectations for multibillion-dollar Saudi investment in America's AI sector, along with greater collaboration on civil nuclear power initiatives.

"We are pleased to state that we will raise the initial amount to nearly $1 trillion," the Saudi leader declared.

Diplomatic Challenges

The Trump government is aiming an atomic and defense cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, that President Biden's team previously pursued without success to secure.

But, the ongoing situation, including the 2023 incident followed by subsequent operations in the region, have complicated the likelihood of normalization.

"After October 7, I believe the price for Saudi to agree to diplomatic ties with the Israelis has increased substantially," a former US Middle East negotiator stated.

Future Negotiations

"We wish to be part the diplomatic deals, however we also want to ensure a concrete plan for Palestinian sovereignty," Prince Mohammed remarked.

The former president concurred, stating, "We conducted an excellent conversation on the Abraham Accords. We spoke about one state, two state."

"We talked about numerous issues in a short time. We plan to explore it further," Trump concluded. "However, I believe you hold a strong understanding regarding normalization."

Criticism Over Commercial Links

The visit was also contentious due to alleged links involving the former president's family commercial ventures with Gulf countries.

The former president denied the possibility of ethical concerns, stating he has "withdrawn from his business empire" while committed "full attention" to governing.

"I have no involvement with the family business," he remarked. "Their business dealings is fine. They work all over. They've done very little in the kingdom, truthfully. I expect they have potential. And anything they've done has been positive."