On March 18, U.S. President Trump insisted that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Salman knew nothing about the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Ehud Hassauji by Saudi agents and offered a strong defense of Salman, contradicting assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies.
Reuters reported that the CIA previously stated that Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation to arrest or kill Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Salman denied ordering the killing, saying only that as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, he was responsible for it.
When Trump met with Sharman in the White House Oval Office on the 18th, he told reporters,"It did happen, but he (Sharman) knew nothing about it, so let's leave it at that."
Sharman said the murder of Hashauki was indeed "heartbreaking," but his government "has followed all the correct investigative procedures." He emphasized to reporters,"We have improved our (national security) system to ensure that such a thing will not happen again. This is heartbreaking and a major mistake."
As for Mary Bruce, the ABC News reporter who asked Trump about the Hashim case, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction, criticizing her for"embarrassing our guest," saying,"You are a terrible reporter," and "I think ABC's license should be revoked because your news is so fake and so incredibly wrong." He then praised Sharman for doing "very well" on human rights issues.
Hashawji's widow, Hanan Elatr-Khashoggi, strongly condemned Trump's words and actions, writing on X:"There is no excuse for the murder of my husband. While Jamal (Hashawji) was a kind, frank, and courageous man, many may disagree with his views and his pursuit of press freedom. The Crown Prince says he is sorry, so he should meet with me, apologize to me, and compensate me for the murder of my husband."
Trump's meeting with Salman highlights a high point in US-Saudi relations. Relations had previously cooled following the assassination of Khashoggi, and while former US President Biden visited Saudi Arabia and met with Salman, he did not receive Salman at the White House.
In his pledge, Salman promised to increase Saudi Arabia's investment in the United States from $600 billion to $1 trillion (approximately NT$31.31 trillion); Trump also stated that he would sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, claiming that the US and Saudi Arabia had reached a"defense agreement." Previously, Saudi Arabia had requested the purchase of 48 F-35 fighter jets from the United States.
