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Former President Donald Trump has largely ignored the killing of reporter Jamal Khashoggi, calling him an "extremely controversial" figure who was disliked.

Oval Office Discussion with Saudi Arabian Leader

These comments were made amid a presidential gathering alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking his inaugural appearance after Khashoggi's murder in Istanbul.

Intelligence officials had previously concluded that Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing, but the former president insisted that the crown prince "knew nothing" regarding it.

The Former President's Response to Journalist's Question

Trump further rebuked the journalist who asked about the topic, suggesting that the broadcaster ought to forfeit its license.

"Numerous folks did not like that man you're talking about," the former president stated. "Whether you like him or not, things occurred, however he had no idea."

The crown prince stated, "It is distressing and a significant blunder, and we are striving to stop a recurrence."

Financial Deals and Military Sales

The meeting further emphasized proposed Saudi funding in the US, first announced as a $600bn package, though subsequently raised to one trillion dollars.

The former president confirmed his plan to supply sophisticated F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Saudis, despite concerns from the Israeli government as well as US intelligence.

The two men additionally revealed talks about a prospective agreement for Saudi Arabia to establish ties with Tel Aviv in return for a Palestinian state.

Middle Eastern Issues and Complications

The potential fighter jet deal has triggered alarm among Israeli officials, that currently possesses the stealth fighter in the region.

US intelligence are apprehensive because of Riyadh's extensive military cooperation with China, bringing up fears regarding security breaches.

Nonetheless, Trump stated that the kingdom deserves the same high-grade aircraft as Tel Aviv, citing their role as "strong partners" of the US.

Additional Deals

In addition to weapons sales, American authorities noted expectations of multi-billion Saudi Arabian investment in America's AI industry, plus enhanced cooperation on civil nuclear power projects.

"We are pleased to state our plan to boost the initial amount to almost one trillion," the crown prince stated.

Diplomatic Complications

The Trump administration is also seeking an atomic and defense cooperation agreement with the kingdom, which the Biden administration previously pursued but failed to secure.

But, recent events, including the 2023 incident and ensuing bombardment in Palestinian territories, have made difficult the likelihood of normalization.

"After October 7, in my view the price for the kingdom to commit to normalization with the Israelis has risen substantially," a former American diplomat remarked.

Prospective Discussions

"We desire to participate the diplomatic deals, yet we additionally seek to secure a concrete plan toward Palestinian statehood," the crown prince declared.

The former president agreed, saying, "We've had a productive conversation about diplomatic ties. We spoke about various options."

"We discussed about numerous issues in a short time. We'll be discussing it further," Trump added. "However, I believe you hold a very good feeling of the agreements."

Controversy Regarding Business Interests

The visit was also controversial because of alleged connections involving the Trump family's commercial ventures and Middle Eastern countries.

Trump rejected the possibility of ethical concerns, stating he had "stepped away from his companies" and dedicated "all his efforts" to governing.

"I am not connected regarding the family business," he said. "Their business dealings is acceptable. They work all over. Their activities are limited in the kingdom, in fact. I'm sure they have potential. Whatever they have undertaken has been positive."