'You Don't Have To Embarrass Our Guest' Trump Defends Saudi Crown Prince From Provocative Question Related To Journalist Khashoggi

President Donald Trump defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a reporter who questioned him about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Trump, addressing the interviewer, said that they should not 'embarrass our guest.'

Trump To The Rescue When Saudi Crown Prince Was Asked About Khashoggi's Murder

Mr Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman upon his arrival at the White House on Tuesday, 18 November. The press was present for photo opportunities and brief questioning, when one reporter asked the prince about the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Mr Trump intervened before the crown prince could respond, answering the question himself.

Mr Trump briefly described the late Khashoggi as an 'extremely controversial' figure, adding that the royal guest had nothing to do with the assassination.

'Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he [bin Salman] knew nothing about it', Mr Trump continued, according to the Daily Mail. 'You don't have to embarrass our guest'.

The crown prince later addressed the question, saying it was 'really painful to hear anyone losing his life for no real purpose or not in a legal way'.

He added that it was also 'painful' for Saudi Arabia and that the government have investigated it. The royal added that they 'improved our system to be sure that nothing happened like that.'

Why Was MBS Associated With Khashoggi's Murder?

On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to pick up documents for his upcoming marriage. He, however, was not seen leaving the premises while his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, waited outside.

According to the Turkish authorities and intelligence reports, Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents inside the consulate. He was reportedly murdered and dismembered shortly after his arrival.

Fifteen Saudi officials were reportedly sent from Riyadh to Istanbul for the operation. The leaked audio recordings suggested a premeditated murder.

Reports allege that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved of the operation. However, bin Salman has denied the allegation.

The crown prince told Bloomberg (via BBC) that Khashoggi left the consulate 'after a few minutes or one hour' and that they have 'nothing to hide.' However, after weeks of denying any involvement, the Saudi government said the journalist died during a 'rogue operation.'

A fight reportedly ensued after Khashoggi resisted returning to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi official said he died from a 'chokehold'.

Khashoggi was a prominent journalist in Saudi Arabia who was close to the royal family. He even served as an adviser to the government, but he later became a critic of the regime.

In 2017, he moved to the United States and began publishing critical analyses of the crown prince in his monthly column in The Washington Post. He criticised the crown prince's policies.

What Are The Different Accounts About Khashoggi's Death

An unclassified US intelligence report claimed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was aware of the operation despite his denial. The report also mentioned the ruler's 'support for violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi'.

Since 2017, the Crown Prince has had absolute control of the Kingdom's security and intelligence organisations, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the Crown Prince's authorisation', the report added.

Meanwhile, an anonymous source who spoke with Reuters insisted that the Saudi ruler had no knowledge about the operation.

'There were no orders for them to kill him or even specifically kidnap him,' the source said. 'MBS had no knowledge of this specific operation and certainly did not order a kidnapping or murder of anybody. He will have been aware of the general instruction to tell people to come back.'

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