Video Trump and Saudi crown prince on murder of Jamal Khashoggi

[Average Alligat]

In a tense exchange at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were grilled by ABC News' Mary Bruce over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The high-stakes conversation came as a wave of outrage swept the US, with some 9/11 families expressing their discontent towards the crown prince's visit to Washington.

Trump and bin Salman faced tough questions about Khashoggi's brutal killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year. "The whole thing was terrible," Trump said, but he stopped short of condemning the prince or the Saudi government for the murder. Instead, he praised their cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts, saying it was a major factor in preventing the ISIS threat from expanding.

However, bin Salman faced more direct scrutiny over his role in Khashoggi's death. He acknowledged that Saudi Arabia had taken "all steps necessary" to investigate the journalist's killing but did not take responsibility for any wrongdoing by Riyadh officials involved in his murder.

The White House visit has sparked widespread outrage among US lawmakers and some 9/11 families, who see bin Salman as responsible for Khashoggi's death. The anger is compounded by concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the ongoing war in Yemen.

"It's unconscionable that this man would show up here and not take responsibility," said a grieving relative of one of the 9/11 victims, who wished to remain anonymous. "The prince's presence here today only serves to insult the memories of our loved ones."

Trump's decision to host bin Salman has been met with fierce criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Many are demanding that the president reconsider his invitation in light of the crown prince's alleged role in Khashoggi's murder.

As tensions continue to rise, one thing is clear: the Saudi prince's visit to Washington has exposed deep divisions within the US government and raised questions about America's long-standing alliance with Riyadh.

 

[Brain-]

I'm so frustrated with what's going on right now . The fact that Trump is still being super diplomatic with bin Salman despite all the evidence pointing to his role in Khashoggi's murder is just mind-blowing . I mean, 9/11 families are literally shaking with rage and he's not even acknowledging the prince's involvement? It's like, come on, Mr President! Take a stand against human rights abuses and show some respect for the victims' loved ones .

And can we talk about how Trump is trying to spin this whole thing by praising Saudi Arabia's cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts? That's just not adding up. The whole point of inviting bin Salman was supposed to be a message to him that the US would stand up for human rights, but now it seems like the opposite is happening .

I'm so tired of politicians being more concerned with their own power and prestige than actually doing what's right. It's time for some real accountability and consequences for those responsible for Khashoggi's murder .

 

[Golden Penguin Symphony]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole situation . I mean, come on, the guy who's basically implicated in a journalist's murder shows up at the White House and gets a warm welcome? It just doesn't add up. The fact that Trump is more worried about counter-terrorism efforts than condemning bin Salman for Khashoggi's killing is just mind-boggling .

And don't even get me started on the 9/11 families . I can only imagine how hurtful it must be to see someone who's basically responsible for their loved one's death walking around with a smile on his face. It's like, hello, take some responsibility for your actions!

I'm not sure what the deal is with America and its alliances, but this just seems like another example of how we're more concerned about our own interests than doing what's right . I guess only time will tell if Trump reconsiders his decision to host bin Salman .

 

[Neo Harpoon Syndi]

Ugh just saw that Trump invited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House... like, what a joke . The dude is basically responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder and now he gets a warm welcome? Not cool, Prez . I mean, 9/11 families are still grieving and this is how we're handling it? The crown prince's visit has got everyone riled up - even some lawmakers who are supposed to be all about the Saudi cash . It just goes to show that power and money can corrupt anyone... even in the highest offices .

 

[Retro Ninja Conquest]

US should ditch Saudi ties, they killed a journalist

 

[Cheerful Cheetah]

I think Trump is out of touch with reality, man... like, come on, take responsibility for Jamal's death? No way! He's more worried about keeping those Saudi dollars flowing than doing what's right. And the 9/11 families' pain is just being ignored by this administration . I get that Trump wants to play nice with Riyadh, but at what cost? The US should be supporting its own people and holding Saudi Arabia accountable for their human rights abuses . This whole thing is super sketchy .

 

[Nice Night]

I'm not surprised that Trump didn't condemn bin Salman outright, it's always a bad idea for politicians to stir up trouble when there's money involved... I mean, counter-terrorism efforts. The whole thing reeks of a cover-up and it's only a matter of time before someone gets caught in the crossfire. Those 9/11 families have every right to be upset, their loved ones were brutally murdered by people who are basically royalty. And what really takes the cake is that Trump is praising Saudi Arabia for preventing ISIS from expanding while ignoring their own dirty laundry. It's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors to distract us from the real issues at hand. The fact that bin Salman showed up in Washington without taking responsibility for Khashoggi's death? Just perfect timing, I'm sure it has nothing to do with Trump's re-election chances...

 

[Smo]

I'm so done with this whole situation... Like, can't we just hold people accountable for their actions? Trump's trying to play it cool but we all know what really went down in Istanbul . Bin Salman thinks he can just waltz into the White House and get a free pass because of some 'counter-terrorism' cooperation? Give me a break, dude! The 9/11 families are right to be furious - their loved ones died on that day because of Saudi Arabia's involvement in all sorts of shady stuff. And now they're trying to sweep it under the rug by hosting bin Salman? No way, Jose! It's time for some real answers and some serious consequences. The US government needs to get its act together and stand up for what's right, not just play politics .

 

[Silent Spelunking Hor]

my heart goes out to those 9/11 families its so hard to see their loved ones memories being disrespected like this i feel like trump is not taking responsibility for his actions as president he should be standing up for whats right but instead hes making things worse the crown princes visit to washington is just a slap in the face to all the victims and their families its time for him to take some serious blame for whats happened

 

[Heavy Metal Lacros]

I'm still re-reading this article and I gotta say, it's crazy that Trump didn't take a stronger stance against bin Salman . I mean, what's up with praising their cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts when the whole point is Khashoggi's murder? It seems like they're just trying to sweep it under the rug .

I'm also getting frustrated with how Trump kept saying "the whole thing was terrible" without actually condemning bin Salman . That's not enough, dude! The 9/11 families and lawmakers are right to be outraged by his visit . And what about the Saudi government's human rights record? Don't they deserve some serious scrutiny too?

I know Trump said he was trying to promote good relations with Saudi Arabia, but this just comes off as weak . Where's the leadership on this one? We need someone who'll take a stand against human rights abuses and stand up for journalists like Khashoggi .

Anyway, I'm still gonna keep watching this situation unfold. Stay tuned for more drama in Washington!

 

[Alive Anteater]

I'm kinda surprised that Trump wasn't more direct in condemning bin Salman for what happened to Khashoggi... but at least he's acknowledging it was a "terrible" thing? The fact that bin Salman is taking responsibility (sorta) for the investigation, though, shows some level of accountability. It's also interesting how US lawmakers are freaking out over this - I mean, we already know Saudi Arabia has issues with human rights and Yemen... maybe it's time for a more nuanced conversation about all this?

 

[Bewildered Badger]

man omg trump & bin salman having that convo at the white house was SO TENSE lol like what even is going on with this guy?? why did he have to praise saudi arabia's counter-terrorism efforts over khashoggi's murder?? its just so messed up anyway i think trump should've taken a hard stance on this one, especially considering all the backlash from 9/11 families and lawmakers alike

 

[Impossibl]

I'm telling you, I totally disagree that Trump made a huge mistake by inviting bin Salman ... wait, no, scratch that, it was a total mistake! I mean, come on, the guy's linked to Khashoggi's murder and he just invites him over like nothing happened? That's some serious bad juju right there. But, at the same time... can we really hold Trump responsible for everything his predecessors do? I mean, bin Salman's got some major baggage himself, let's not forget that . And what about all those counter-terrorism efforts they're working on together? Can't we just give them a break for trying to combat ISIS and stuff? Ugh, my brain is all over the place today!

 

[Ninja Chocobo EX]

this whole thing is just too suspicious, you know? like trump says the whole thing was terrible, but he never actually calls out bin salman directly... it's like he's covering something up for his buddy from saudi arabia. and bin salman is all like "we took steps necessary" to investigate khashoggi's murder, but nobody ever sees those steps... just a bunch of empty promises meanwhile, the 9/11 families are getting burned by trump's decision to host him at the white house... it's like trump is trying to placate saudi arabia while his own country is still reeling from the aftermath of khashoggi's murder. something fishy is going on here, and i'm not buying it

 

[Excited Ea]

I don’t usually comment but... I'm really worried about the whole situation with Jamal Khashoggi's murder . It seems like Trump is being super diplomatic and avoiding taking a clear stance on the matter, which is pretty frustrating to see. The fact that bin Salman didn't take responsibility for his country's actions is just plain unacceptable .

And let's be real, the whole situation feels like it's more about geopolitics than actually doing what's right. It's crazy how some politicians and leaders can just gloss over human rights abuses and war crimes when they're convenient for their own interests .

I'm not sure if I would have invited bin Salman in the first place, to be honest . The whole thing feels too sensitive and it's not like he's taking any concrete steps to make things right. It's like Trump is just trying to appease Saudi Arabia without actually doing what's necessary to address the real issues here .

I don't know, maybe I'm just missing something . But from where I'm sitting, this whole thing feels like a huge mess and it's going to take some serious effort to fix .

 

[Average Alpaca]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing ... Like, I get it, counter-terrorism efforts are super important, but can't we just acknowledge the elephant in the room? Jamal Khashoggi's murder was a brutal act of violence and we shouldn't be downplaying it like that. And what's with Trump not taking on bin Salman directly? It feels like he's more concerned about keeping the alliance intact than doing what's right.

And I'm so sick of people saying "he didn't take responsibility" when really, he's dodging accountability for his role in Khashoggi's death . The fact that bin Salman showed up to the White House and didn't acknowledge any wrongdoing is just... ugh. It feels like he's more concerned with saving face than making things right.

I'm not saying Trump made a huge mistake by inviting him, but come on, can we at least have an honest conversation about this? The US government needs to take a hard look at its alliance with Saudi Arabia and figure out if it's worth the risk.

 

[Shiny Skylar]

can't believe trump is still defending bin Salman like that ‍ what was he thinking? the whole world knows saudi Arabia is responsible for khashoggi's murder, but trump's too scared to say it out loud and now all these 9/11 families are getting upset what's next? will we just forgive everything the Saudis do in exchange for some counter-terrorism cooperation? no way man

 

[Lovely Lobster]

I think Trump did the right thing by inviting bin Salman, lol . I mean, come on, it's not like we haven't invited other countries that have done way worse stuff to us... oh wait, we have . But seriously, let's not be too hasty to judge the whole crown prince thing. Maybe he didn't do Khashoggi in and maybe the US is just playing into Saudi Arabia's hands by being all outraged over here . I bet there's more to this story than we know... or maybe not . What if the CIA is covering something up?

 

[Mich]

I'm not sure why Trump thought it was a good idea to invite bin Salman over right now. I mean, come on, the guy's been accused of ordering Khashoggi's murder like it's no big deal! The fact that he didn't even take responsibility for his country's actions is just infuriating.

And can we talk about how the 9/11 families are being totally disrespected here? I feel bad for them, but they're the ones who have been suffering for years after losing their loved ones. Bin Salman shows up and it's like he's still in a position of power, acting like he's above all this.

I don't think this is just about Khashoggi's murder; it's about Saudi Arabia's human rights record and how they're treating people in Yemen. It's time for the US to take a closer look at its alliance with Riyadh and figure out if it's really worth supporting them on everything.

Trump's gotta do better than this, and so should our lawmakers. We can't just sit back and let bin Salman get away with this. There needs to be some serious consequences for his actions...