Donald Trump grew irate with reporters during a Tuesday meeting in the Oval Office with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The president bristled at a question about the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi journalist was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents inside an Istanbul embassy in 2018. The CIA connected the killing to orders from bin Salman. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump waved away a question about his death.
“He’s done a phenomenal job. You’re mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” he said. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.”
Trump seemed to believe that the reporter’s question lacked decorum, and he chastized the press for probing.
“You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that,” he said.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to… pic.twitter.com/uhh8VjFy20
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 18, 2025
The crown prince said that he “feels painful” about the Khashoggi scandal, claiming he took “all the right steps” to investigate his murder.
“It’s painful and it’s a huge mistake,” he said.
The crown prince has accepted responsibility for the murder in the past, but has never admitted to any involvement in the killing.
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“It happened under my watch,” he said in a 2019 documentary by PBS. “I get all the responsibility, because it happened under my watch.”
