Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington was momentous in many ways, including the royal treatment accorded to him by US President Donald Trump, which featured an honour guard on horseback, a military band, and a flyover by US aircraft.
But the Crown Prince’s visit was marred by an “embarrassing” question from an ABC journalist, who questioned the Kingdom’s and the Crown Prince’s role in the brutal murder of New York Times journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“The US intelligence agencies have concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist, and families of 9/11 victims are outraged that you are here in the Oval Office. Why should Americans trust you?” correspondent Mary Bruce asked the Crown Prince.
However, Trump angrily intervened, asking, "Who are you?" After learning she was from ABC News, he said, "Fake news, one of the worst stories in the business."
Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting the kingdom's de facto ruler "knew nothing" about the murder.
“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen, but [Mohammed] knew nothing about it,” said President Trump. “There's no need to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that," referring to the Khashoggi affair.
However, the Crown Prince himself was unfazed by the questions and reacted calmly by saying that it was "a painful and grave mistake".
“Regarding the journalist, it is truly painful to hear about anyone losing their life without a real purpose or in an unlawful way, and it was painful for us in Saudi Arabia.
He also commented on the 9/11 attacks, saying he felt for the families of the victims, but US intelligence investigations confirmed that Osama bin Laden used the Saudis to damage relations between our two countries.
He pointed out that Saudi Arabia conducted its own investigation at the time, did everything required of it, and implemented changes to ensure this would not happen again.
Netizens were impressed by the Crown Prince’s diplomacy. One user posted the entire interaction on X with the caption: “The correspondence from ABC News reporter embarrassed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, so she received a shocking response from Trump and another strong diplomatic response from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, a response taught in the prestigious and powerful advanced schools of diplomacy.”
