The United States President Donald Trump reportedly boasted about him that he saved Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the brutal murder of The Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist Bob Woodward in his book ‘Rage’ has quoted a series of explosive interviews with Donald Trump.
In an excerpt published by Business Insider, while talking about Prince, Trump told, “I saved his ass”.
Donald Trump has taken a number of steps to avoid Congress’ efforts to hold Saudi Arabia Prince responsible for the killing. Trump administration has stood by Saudi Arabia that includes the rejection of a bill that would have limited the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia.
“I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop,” Trump said to Woodward.
During the 2018 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that Prince Mohammad has denied his involvement in the killing of the journalist.
“He says that to everybody, and frankly I’m happy that he says that. But he will say that to you, he will say that to Congress, and he will say that to everybody. He’s never said he did it.” Trump was quoted as telling Woodward.
Woodward in his interview repeatedly tried to question Trump that whether he agreed with the Central Intelligence Agency’s conclusions that it was on orders of Bin Salman that Jamal was killed. To which Trump again insisted, “he says that he didn’t do it, Bob, they spent $400 billion over a fairly short period of time”
Khashoggi was killed at the consulate in Istanbul, Turkey in October 2018, alleged to be on the orders of Prince Mohammad.
He has been critical of the policies of the Crown Prince. In 2017 he also expressed his fear of being arrested in an apparent crackdown on dissent overseen by the prince.
