US Trump: Saudi prince denies knowledge of journalist slaying - Reuters

In a move that sees US President Trump once again standing on the opposite side of the room from human rights supporters, the US President is siding with the Saudi prince who has denied any involvement or knowledge of the disappearance of the missing Khashoggi.

Key highlights

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Saudi Arabia’s crown prince denied knowing what happened in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Jamal Khashoggi vanished two weeks ago even as a congressional ally of Trump accused the prince of ordering the journalist’s death.

“Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate,” Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump also wrote that the crown prince “told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly.”

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump on some issues, called the crown prince a “toxic” figure, adding, “He can never be a world leader on the world stage.”

"I’ve been their biggest defender on the floor of the United States Senate,” Graham said. “This guy is a wrecking ball. He had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey and to expect me to ignore it. I feel used and abused,” Graham said.

Members of the U.S. Congress, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans, are among the loudest voices in the United States calling for answers about Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist. U.S. lawmakers have also been critical of Saudi Arabia over civilian casualties caused by its warplanes in the war in Yemen, in which it intervened three years ago.

Khashoggi moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his criticism of Prince Mohammed, who has cracked down on dissent with arrests.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended Saudi Arabia from what he characterized as efforts to condemn Riyadh over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi before all the facts were known, telling the Associated Press in an interview it was a case of “guilty until proven innocent.”