US President Donald Trump has dismissed the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, describing the Washington Post columnist as “extremely controversial” and "not liked by many" and suggesting that his murder was just one of those situations where “things happen".

The US president made the comments in the Oval Office on Tuesday while hosting Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, marking the Saudi leader’s first visit to Washington since the assassination and dismemberment of Khashoggi in Istanbul by Saudi operatives.

Despite a formal US intelligence assessment concluding that the crown prince ordered the hit, Trump maintained that “he knew nothing about it.” When an ABC News reporter raised the issue during the media availability, Trump rebuked the network, saying its license should be revoked and insisting again that Khashoggi was “extremely controversial".

“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, but he knew nothing about it,” Trump said, again defending the crown prince. For his part, MBS called the killing “painful” and a “huge mistake", pledging that Riyadh would work to ensure “this doesn’t happen again.”

Major non-Nato ally designation and high-profile guest list

Later that evening, Trump hosted a black-tie dinner at the White House, announcing that he was designating Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally,  a largely symbolic status that opens the door to expanded military and security cooperation. The event brought together a roster of well-known figures, including Elon Musk, Cristiano Ronaldo, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. During the dinner, Trump praised the crown prince as a “man of leadership.”

Trump also highlighted major Saudi investments in the US economy. While the White House initially announced a $600bn figure, the crown prince, at Trump’s prompting, said that the total could ultimately reach $1tn. Trump confirmed that Washington intended to sell advanced F-35 stealth fighters to Riyadh, despite longstanding objections from Israel and concerns from US intelligence officials.

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Normalization talks with "Israel" and growing regional tensions

Trump and MBS also acknowledged that they had discussed a potential deal under which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with "Israel" in exchange for progress toward a "two-state" solution, implying recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state. Although described as a working visit, the Saudi leader’s arrival carried many of the visual hallmarks of a full state occasion, complete with military horses carrying US and Saudi flags and a flyover of F-16s and F-35s.

Trump’s willingness to supply Riyadh with the same advanced aircraft currently fielded by "Israel" has stirred unease in both the region and inside the US government. "Israel" remains the only Middle Eastern entity flying the F-35, and intelligence officials worry that Saudi Arabia’s close security ties with China could risk the technology being compromised. Still, Trump signaled his readiness to provide Saudi Arabia with jets equal in capability to those delivered to "Israel".

“When you look at the F-35 and you’re asking me is it the same I think it’s going to be pretty similar,” he said. “This is a great ally and Israel’s a great ally. And I know they’d like you to get planes of reduced calibre. I don’t think that makes you too happy … As far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line.”

Alongside arms sales, US officials said the administration expected major Saudi investment in the American artificial intelligence sector, along with expanded cooperation on establishing a civil nuclear energy program in the kingdom. As the crown prince put it, “We can announce that we are going to increase that $600bn to almost $1tn for investment.” Trump thanked him, saying Saudi commitments would translate into American jobs. “We’ve been really good friends for a long period of time. We’ve always been on the same side of every issue.”

Biden’s failed push and shifting political realities

The Trump administration is also seeking a sweeping diplomatic agreement with Riyadh similar to the one the Biden administration attempted but never secured,  expanded nuclear and security cooperation in exchange for Saudi Arabia formally normalizing ties with "Israel". But regional realities have shifted sharply since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has killed more than 78,000 Palestinians.

MBS made Riyadh’s position clear, “We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we also want to be sure that we secure a clear path of two-state solution,” adding that he and Trump were working to “prepare for the right situation as soon as possible.”

Trump echoed that sentiment, saying, “We’ve had a very good talk on the Abraham Accords. We talked about one state, two state. We talked about a lot of things in a short period of time. We’ll be discussing it further. But I think you have a very good feeling for the Abraham Accords.”

Questions over Trump family business interests

The visit has also prompted scrutiny over the overlap between US foreign policy and private commercial interests involving the Trump family. The president denied any conflict of interest, saying he had withdrawn from the Trump Organization and no longer managed its operations.

“I have nothing to do with the family business. I have left and I’ve devoted 100% of my energy [to the presidency],” he said. “What my family does is fine. They do business all over. They’ve done very little with Saudi Arabia, actually. I’m sure they could do a lot. And anything they’ve done has been very good.”

Upon returning to office for a second term, the Trump Organization said the president would step away from daily management and shift control of assets to a family-run trust. Critics argue he should have divested completely or placed his holdings in a blind trust. During the second administration, the Trump family has been in discussions over multibillion-dollar investment deals in Saudi Arabia.