Trump’s ‘things happen’ defense of MBS over Khashoggi murder draws fierce outrage

The highly scrutinized Oval Office meeting between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday was overshadowed by the 2018 murder of dissident Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

When media persons present in the meeting quizzed the visiting Saudi de facto ruler on his involvement in the high-profile murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Trump raised eyebrows by jumping to the defense of MBS, downplaying the incident.

“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 embarrass our guest,” he said.

The CIA had previously concluded that MBS ordered the assassination of the journalist who was severely critical of the Saudi leadership, a fact Trump’s statement seemed to dismiss.

Veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, in a tweet, recalled Trump’s own words in a 2020 interview, referring to protecting MBS from Congressional scrutiny.

“I pressed Trump on MBS's role in the Khashoggi killing during a tape-recorded interview on Jan. 22, 2020: ‘I’ve gotten involved very much,’ Trump said. ‘I know everything about the whole situation.’ So what happened, sir? I asked. ‘I saved his a**s,’ Trump said. ‘That’s what happened.’ Saved whose a**s? “MBS,’ Trump said. ‘They were coming down on him very strongly. But I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop. . . You know, I’m very friendly with those guys.’ Which guys? The Saudis? ‘Congress. I’m very friendly with Congress,’ Trump said,” wrote the journalist.

Anonymous, a social media activist group, reminded the world of MBS’s dark associations.

“Reminder that Trump’s guest at the White House, the Saudi prince MBS, is not only involved in the murder of a US journalist but he is also part of the Jeffrey Epstein Network,” it wrote.

DAWN Media, a nonprofit founded by Khashoggi and which now leads the campaign for justice and accountability in his murder case, issued a scathing statement through its executive director, Sarah Leah Whitson.

“President Trump has sold US protection – backed by American soldiers whose lives will be on the line – to protect a reckless, impulsive dictator, all in the interests of personal and corporate gains,” said Whitson.

“While the defense industry and American billionaires will profit handsomely with the gifts Trump is doling out to MBS, the American people will be left holding the bill. President Trump has Jamal Khashoggi's blood on his hands," said Raed Jarrar, DAWN's advocacy director.

Washington Post correspondent Kaitlin Collins noted the stark contradiction between Trump’s defense of MBS and the US intelligence community’s findings.

“A quite stunning moment in the Oval Office as President Trump asserts that MBS knew nothing about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder despite how the CIA — under Trump — found that the crown prince ordered it,” she wrote in a tweet.

Human rights advocate and author Kenneth Roth also condemned the US president’s stance, pointing to the gravity of absolving MBS in the face of compelling evidence against him.

“As Trump orders the murder of people in boats in the Caribbean, he absolves the Saudi crown prince (against all evidence) of ordering the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi,” Roth wrote.

Other voices also expressed disbelief at the political calculus behind Trump’s defense of MBS.

“It’s interesting that the CIA, during Trump’s first term, found MBS responsible for Khashoggi’s murder, which he never disputed. Today, Trump protects MBS because the Saudis came bearing gifts, and his family stands to benefit,” wrote a social media user, Sia.

Lisa Ericsson Murphy, another social media user, pointed out the dissonance in Trump’s reaction to questions about MBS and his involvement in Khashoggi’s murder.

“Trump was more offended that a reporter asked MBS about Khashoggi than he was about MBS murdering him,” she stated.

Even New York-based comedian Noel Casler blasted Trump’s dismissive tone.

“Trump was more offended that a reporter asked MBS about Khashoggi than he was about MBS murdering him,” Casler tweeted.

Former diplomat Tom Malinowski underscored the undeniable intelligence findings, which are in sharp contrast to what Trump said during his meeting with MBS.

“I don't know what's worse -- dismissing the murder of a journalist with 'things happen,' or saying that MBS knew nothing about it.' Trump's own administration reported to Congress that MBS was responsible for killing Khashoggi,” he wrote.

Andrea Junker, a US-based artist, said it's a good day to remind everyone that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, advised Saudi Crown Prince MBS on how to “weather the storm” after his hit squad slaughtered American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Ilhan Omar, the US representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, said the US “should NOT be selling weapons to one of the worst human rights abusers in the world.”

“This should be a no-brainer. MBS should be held responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — not welcomed at the White House to celebrate a multibillion-dollar arms package deal,” she wrote.

As netizens stated, the Oval Office meeting underscored a deep fracture in US foreign policy priorities, as economic and strategic interests override demands for justice and accountability in one of the most chilling political murders of the past decade.

Ahead of MBS’s arrival, Trump announced that the US plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, while during their Oval Office meeting, MBS said Saudi Arabia intends to boost its previously pledged $600 billion investment in the US to nearly $1 trillion, which delighted Trump.

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