WP: Trump Betrays Khashoggi’s Memory by Shielding MBS

By Staff, Agencies

The Washington Post accused US President Donald Trump of desecrating the legacy of its murdered columnist Jamal Khashoggi after he publicly dismissed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s [MBS] role in the journalist’s killing.

In an editorial released Wednesday, the paper criticized Trump for insisting that MBS “knew nothing” about the 2018 assassination, despite US intelligence findings concluding that the crown prince personally ordered Khashoggi’s abduction and murder.

When asked about the case during an Oval Office exchange on Tuesday, Trump responded, “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,” portraying Khashoggi as “extremely controversial” and implying the subject was being raised merely to embarrass his Saudi guest.

The Post condemned these remarks, writing that such distortions “dishonor Khashoggi’s legacy, stand at odds with the facts and are beneath the office of the president.”

The editorial further rebuked Trump for legitimizing and protecting bin Salman, arguing that this approach emboldens the crown prince and others like him to mistreat not only journalists but also American citizens.

Instead of offering the Saudi leader a warm welcome and ceremonial honor guard, the paper said Washington should be working to ensure that someone with bin Salman’s record is held accountable.

“The relationship with Saudi Arabia still produces some benefits, but even in a complicated world, an American president should be able to respect Khashoggi’s legacy while conducting the messy business of statecraft,” the editorial noted.

It added that “forgetting Mohammed’s brutality and Khashoggi’s warnings is a choice, and Trump made the wrong one.”

Khashoggi—an outspoken critic of the crown prince—left Saudi Arabia in 2017 and sought refuge in Virginia, where he regularly wrote columns for The Washington Post criticizing the kingdom’s policies. In 2018, he was lured into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and murdered by a 15-member Saudi team.

A 2021 CIA assessment concluded that bin Salman had approved the operation to “capture or kill” Khashoggi.