The US President Donald Trump’s warm embrace of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS, on the latter’s visit to the White House, has triggered intense criticism, not least when the president airily dismissed questions about the 2018 murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi with a casual “things happen”.
The comment came after ABC News reporter Mary Bruce tried to ask MBS a question about the killing, which U.S. intelligence had directly linked to the crown prince in its 2021 assessment. Instead, Trump lashed out at the reporter for her “insubordinate” attitude before absolving his guest of responsibility.
The Oval Office interaction overshadowed what was otherwise a predictable display of pomp: a grand welcome ceremony, fighter-jet salutes, and a lavish dinner where Trump announced Saudi Arabia’s elevation to major non-NATO ally status. The president repeatedly mentioned a promised $1 trillion Saudi investment as proof of strengthened ties.
A pattern of indifference
MbS called the murder “painful” and a “huge mistake,” saying the kingdom had taken steps to prevent such incidents in the future. Even this cautious phrasing seemed more restrained than Trump’s approach, which critics say trivialized the killing and undermined the dignity of the presidency.
Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan, told BBC Newsnight that Trump’s comments did not align with an earlier admission of guilt from the crown prince himself in an interview back in 2019. She has now called for a meeting with MBS to demand an apology and compensation.
Not the first time Washington looked away
While unusual, the frankness with which Trump presents his policy is not unique in the underlying dynamic. US presidents have been advancing deeply controversial foreign policies for decades, packaging them in rhetorical appeals to democracy and global leadership. Trump’s approach simply strips away the diplomatic language.
Examples of this continuity from modern history show:
Dwight Eisenhower authorized the 1953 coup against Iran’s Mohammad Mosaddegh; in its wake, it produced decades of authoritarian rule.
Sanctions against Iraq imposed by Bill Clinton exacerbated the humanitarian crisis due to shortages in food and medicine.
George W. Bush’s wars, after 9/11, in Iraq and Afghanistan caused extensive civilian casualties and destabilized a whole region.
Joe Biden had promised to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” after Khashoggi’s death, only to visit the kingdom in 2022 seeking lower oil prices. A fist-bump with MbS became symbolic of that reversal.
Deals behind the diplomacy
Other items on the agenda of Trump’s meeting with MBS included civilian nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence partnerships, and a possible major deal on advanced F-35 fighter jets, a potential sale that has raised concerns in Israel about preserving its qualitative military edge in the region.
MBS said the US is the “hottest country on the planet” in which to invest, and Saudi commitments would rise to $1 trillion — up from the previously $600 billion.
Cristiano Ronaldo, currently plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League, was among those present at a post-meeting gala dinner.
A familiar story with a different tone
What sets Trump apart is not the policy but the presentation. Past presidents usually framed controversial alliances with appeals to values and stability. Trump speaks in the language of blunt transactionalism — and sometimes open mockery.
He has also called journalists “piggy”, shared racist memes, and attacked his political opponents – all increasingly blurring the line between domestic bullying and international diplomacy. A Thin Veneer of Statesmanship: Trump’s new defense of MBS just reinforces an old truism: the US foreign policy often considers strategic interests over human rights.
What surprises most people is not the content, but rather the frankness with which Trump says it. His remarks have given new life to debates about accountability — both for the killing of Khashoggi and for the larger pattern of American power acting with impunity.
As the crown prince presses on with a series of appearances in Washington, including an investment summit, the furor over Khashoggi’s killing once more highlights how tenuous — and conditional — international commitments to human rights can be.
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