Trump says bin Salman “knew nothing” about Khashoggi murder

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Mohammed bin Salman knew nothing about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, offering a tough defense of the visiting Saudi crown prince that contradicted the assessment of US intelligence.

The controversy over the killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and US-based critic of the Saudi leadership, flared up again in the Oval Office in front of the cameras as the kingdom’s de facto ruler made his first visit to the White House in more than seven years, seeking to further restore his global image tarnished by the incident.

Trump later announced he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, and the two sides announced deals on arms sales, civil nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Bin Salman authorized Khashoggi’s capture or assassination at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The crown prince denied ordering the operation, but acknowledged responsibility as the de facto ruler of the kingdom.

“A lot of people didn’t like this gentleman you’re talking about, whether you like him or not,” Trump told reporters, with bin Salman sitting next to him. “Things happened, but he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.”

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman speak on the Colonnade at the White House in Washington, DC, USA November 18, 2025

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman speak on the Colonnade at the White House in Washington, DC, USA November 18, 2025

Bin Salman said it was “painful” to learn of Khashoggi’s death but that his government “took all the right investigative steps”. “We improved our system to make sure nothing happened like that. And it’s painful and it’s a huge mistake,” he told reporters.

Trump, who chided the reporter for asking the Khashoggi question “to embarrass our guest,” also praised the crown prince for his “incredible” work on human rights, but did not elaborate.

Reading: Saudi Arabia pledges $1 trillion in US investment, up from $600 billion

Trump’s treatment of bin Salman drew a rebuke from Khashoggi’s widow. “Nothing (can) justify a horrific crime just … because he’s controversial or somebody doesn’t like him,” Hanan Elatr Khashoggi told Reuters in an interview, adding that she would like Trump to meet with her to introduce him to the “real Jamal.”

Bin Salman has been heavily criticized by human rights groups not only for Khashoggi’s murder but also for cracking down on dissent at home. But the crown prince has also unleashed major social reforms that have swept away some strict social codes.

Arms sales, civilian nuclear deal

The meeting highlights a key relationship – between the world’s largest economy and top oil exporter – that Trump has made a high priority in his second term as the international furore over Khashoggi’s killing has gradually faded.

The warm reception for bin Salman in Washington marks a high point for US-Saudi relations, which have suffered since Khashoggi’s murder. Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden traveled to the kingdom and met with the Saudi prince, but did not host him at the White House.

Trump said he received a “positive response” about the prospects for normalizing Saudi relations with Israel. But the crown prince made it clear that while he wanted to join the Abraham Accords, he was sticking to his condition that Israel must provide a path to Palestinian statehood, which it has refused to do.

During a White House dinner later on Tuesday, Trump said he was “increasing our military cooperation” by designating Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, a status that gives a US partner military and economic privileges but does not entail security commitments. US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June had made Saudi Arabia safer, Trump added.

The White House newsletter said the two sides signed a Strategic Defense Agreement, which “enhances deterrence across the Middle East,” makes it easier for U.S. defense companies to operate in the country and secures “new Saudi burden-sharing funds to cover U.S. costs.” The deal appeared to fall short of the congressionally ratified NATO-style treaty Saudi Arabia had originally sought.

Read more: MBS visits White House to boost cooperation on oil, security and high tech

The White House announced that Trump had approved future deliveries of F-35 fighter jets and the Saudis had agreed to buy 300 US tanks.

The sale of stealth fighter jets to the kingdom, which requested it buy 48 of the advanced aircraftt, would mark the first US sale of advanced fighter jets to Riyadh, a major policy shift. The deal could change the military balance in the Middle East and test Washington’s determination to maintain what the US calls Israel’s “qualitative military advantage.” Until now, Israel was the only country in the Middle East that had the F-35.

The two countries also signed a joint statement to conclude negotiations on political cooperation on nuclear energy, which the White House said will create the legal basis for a long-term nuclear energy partnership.

Bin Salman is seeking a deal to unlock access to US nuclear technology and help Saudi Arabia reach the level of the UAE and traditional regional foe Iran. But progress on such a nuclear pact has been difficult because the Saudis have resisted a U.S. provision that would have barred uranium enrichment or reprocessing spent fuel — both potential paths to a bomb.

The Crown Prince will boost investment

At the start of his visit, the crown prince was greeted by a lavish display of pomp and ceremony under Trump’s presidency on the South Lawn, complete with a military honor guard, a cannon salute and US aircraft.

Sitting next to Trump, bin Salman pledged to increase his country’s US investment to $1 trillion from a $600 billion pledge he made when Trump visited Saudi Arabia in May. But he did not give details or a timetable.

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman speak on the Colonnade at the White House in Washington, DC, USA November 18, 2025

The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding on artificial intelligence and a framework for cooperation on critical minerals, the White House said.

A $1 trillion investment in the U.S. would be difficult for Saudi Arabia to raise, given its heavy spending on an already ambitious array of massive projects at home, including futuristic megacities that have gone over budget.

Read also: Palestinian state key to Israel ties: MBS

Spearheading an ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil, bin Salman is expected to present his efforts at an investment conference attended by a host of corporate executives on Wednesday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In the Oval Office, Trump flatly denied any conflict of interest with his family’s investment interests in Saudi Arabia.

“I have nothing to do with the family business. I left and have put 100% of my energy into it. What my family does is good. They do business everywhere,” he said.

The White House has repeatedly said that upon taking office, Trump ended his involvement in his businesses, placing them in trusts managed by his children. However, as the beneficiary of the trust that controls the Trump Organization, the president will have access to the money the family is making now when he leaves office.