🔗 Share this article Trump Minimizes Jamal Khashoggi Killing During Saudi Crown Prince's Presidential Encounter Former President Trump appeared to shrug off the killing of journalist Khashoggi, describing him as an "extremely controversial" figure that was disliked. Oval Office Meeting with Saudi Arabian Leader These comments came amid a presidential session with the Saudi crown prince, marking his inaugural appearance after the journalist's death in Turkey. Intelligence officials had previously concluded that Mohammed bin Salman was behind the killing, however the former president maintained that the prince "was unaware" of the incident. Trump's Reaction to Journalist's Question Trump additionally attacked the journalist who asked about the topic, suggesting that the broadcaster deserve to lose its permit. "A lot of individuals did not like that man you mention," the former president stated. "Whether you like him or not, incidents happened, yet he had no idea." The Saudi leader stated, "It is distressing and a major error, and we are striving to ensure it from happening again." Economic Arrangements and Military Sales The discussion also highlighted planned Saudi funding in the United States, first announced as $600 billion, though subsequently raised to $1 trillion. Trump confirmed his plan to sell top-tier F-35 planes to the Saudis, in spite of concerns from Israel and US intelligence. Both leaders additionally revealed negotiations regarding a possible arrangement for Saudi Arabia to establish ties with Israel conditional on a Palestinian state. Middle Eastern Issues and Challenges The proposed sale of F-35s has triggered concern within Israel, which is the only operator of the advanced plane locally. Intelligence officials are apprehensive because of the kingdom's extensive security ties with China, highlighting apprehensions regarding technology theft. However, Trump insisted that the kingdom is entitled to equivalent top-level planes as the Israelis, noting their status as "strong partners" of the US. Broader Agreements Alongside weapons sales, administration representatives noted hopes of multi-billion Saudi Arabian investment in the United States' AI industry, along with deeper cooperation on nuclear energy development. "We can announce our plan to boost that $600 billion to almost one trillion," the crown prince stated. Diplomatic Issues The Trump team is aiming an atomic and defense arrangement with Riyadh, which President Biden's team had tried unsuccessfully to achieve. However, recent events, such as the October assault and subsequent Israeli military actions in the region, have made difficult the chances of such a deal. "Following the attacks, in my view the conditions for the kingdom to agree to normalization with the Israelis has increased considerably," a one-time US Middle East negotiator stated. Prospective Talks "We wish to participate the diplomatic deals, yet we require to secure a concrete plan for a two-state solution," Prince Mohammed stated. The former president echoed, saying, "We held an excellent conversation about diplomatic ties. We spoke about various options." "We discussed about many topics briefly. We'll be discussing it further," Trump continued. "However, I believe you possess a clear grasp of the agreements." Debate Regarding Business Interests The encounter further controversial due to possible links between Trump's relatives commercial ventures and Middle Eastern countries. Trump rejected any conflict of interest, stating he had "stepped away from his business empire" while devoted "100% of his energy" to his role. "I am not connected to do with my family's enterprises," he said. "Their actions is fine. They operate all over. They've done very little with Saudi Arabia, truthfully. I believe opportunities exist. Whatever they have undertaken has been successful."