Trump defends crown prince during White House visit

President Donald Trump meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

By KATIE ROGERS and VIVIAN NEREIM

President Donald Trump brushed aside a reporter’s question about the role Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, played in the death and dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist in 2018, praising the kingdom’s de facto ruler in a joint Oval Office appearance that was heavy on flattery.

Trump strongly defended Crown Prince Mohammed, who U.S. intelligence has said ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was killed by Saudi agents. The crown prince has denied involvement.

“A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about; whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said, referring to Khashoggi.

Crown Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia “did all the right steps” to investigate Khashoggi’s death. “It’s painful, and it’s a huge mistake,” he said.

The visit was a striking diplomatic turnabout for the crown prince, who had not been on U.S. soil since 2018, the same year that Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. During the Biden administration, U.S. intelligence officials released a report determining that the crown prince had ordered the killing, but the White House declined to take direct action against him.

When a reporter asked Crown Prince Mohammed about that finding in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump interjected. “He knew nothing about it,” the president said. “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking something like that.”

The crown prince arrived at the White House with some of his objectives already accomplished: Trump said Monday that he intended to sell the kingdom F-35 fighters despite concerns raised by the Pentagon about the risks involved with selling the technology to an ally that has a security partnership with China.

The arrival ceremony exceeded the typical pomp for a visiting foreign leader: A Marine band played as officers on horseback carried the Saudi and American flags, and advanced fighter jets flew over the White House in a V formation.

Before the visit, a host of other U.S.-Saudi agreements were in process, including one on artificial intelligence, a mutual defense pact and an agreement that would eventually offer Saudi Arabia access to U.S. nuclear technology.

Here’s what else to know:

— Investment: Trump said the U.S. can “count on $600 billion” in Saudi investments in the United States, a figure that economists say is highly unrealistic, as the kingdom faces mounting fiscal constraints because of subdued oil prices and Crown Prince Mohammed’s high spending on megaprojects. Crown Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia “believes in the future of America” and would increase its pledge to almost $1 trillion — a number the size of Saudi Arabia’s entire sovereign wealth fund.

— Family business: Trump denied conflicts of interest stemming from his family’s business connections in Saudi Arabia, saying he had “nothing to do with the family business.” This week, the Trump Organization and its Saudi-based development partner, Dar Al Arkan, announced a new project allowing cryptocurrency investors to buy into Trump-branded real estate projects, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, runs a private equity firm that has taken $2 billion from a fund led by the crown prince. “What my family does is fine,” he said. “They do business all over.”

— Military deals: Trump’s willingness to sell U.S.-made military technology must first overcome production bottlenecks and get congressional approval. Trump is likely to encounter criticism from other allies, namely Israel, for his willingness to sell advanced U.S. military technology to the Saudis. There are also concerns that China could eventually gain access to it.

— Israel: Crown Prince Mohammed said he wants Saudi Arabia to be part of the Abraham Accords and establish ties with Israel but must be sure of “a clear path to a two-state solution” before that. Such a deal is unlikely anytime soon.

— Red-carpet welcome: Crown Prince Mohammed was not receiving a state visit because he is not the head of state, a distinction that lies with his father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Still, the visit comes with all the trappings of one. Crown Prince Mohammed will be treated to a black-tie dinner with business leaders and lawmakers later Tuesday at the White House. On Wednesday, he will travel with Trump to a business investment conference in Washington.