Former President Donald Trump dismissed U.S. intelligence findings about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s involvement in journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, suggesting during their Oval Office meeting that Khashoggi simply had enemies who wanted him dead.
“Whether you like him or don’t like him, things happen,” Trump remarked during the high-profile visit, seemingly brushing aside the brutal 2018 killing that intelligence agencies have linked directly to the Saudi leader.
Tense Exchange in the Oval Office
The meeting took a contentious turn when ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce directly confronted both leaders with pointed questions. She asked the Crown Prince about U.S. intelligence conclusions regarding Khashoggi’s death and raised concerns from 9/11 families about his White House welcome.
“Your Royal Highness, the U.S. intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist. 9/11 families are furious that you are here in the Oval Office. Why should Americans trust you? And the same to you, Mr. President,” Bruce challenged both men.
The Crown Prince, often referred to as MBS, characterized Khashoggi’s killing as “a huge mistake” without denying involvement. U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that he personally ordered the murder of the Washington Post columnist, who was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
But Trump’s reaction wasn’t aimed at addressing the substance of the allegations. Instead, he launched into an attack on the reporter herself.
Trump Threatens Broadcast License
In response to Bruce’s questioning, Trump threatened regulatory action against ABC News, suggesting their broadcast license should be revoked over what he characterized as unfair coverage of his administration.
“I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong,” Trump stated, continuing his longstanding pattern of attacking media outlets that publish critical coverage. “And we have a great (FCC) commissioner, the chairman, who should look at that because I think when you come in and you’re 97% negative to Trump. And then Trump wins the election in a landslide. That means, obviously, your news is not credible.”
Is this the first time a president-elect has threatened broadcast licenses over questioning? Not for Trump, who has previously suggested examining network licenses during his first term.
The president-elect’s dismissal of U.S. intelligence findings represents a continuation of his first-term approach to the Khashoggi case. Despite the evidence gathered by American intelligence agencies pointing to MBS’s culpability, Trump has consistently prioritized the U.S.-Saudi relationship over accountability for the journalist’s death.
For his part, the Crown Prince has moved beyond initial denials of any Saudi involvement to acknowledging the killing while maintaining personal distance from the operation. The Saudi government has prosecuted several officials for the murder, though critics view these prosecutions as scapegoating lower-level operatives.
The exchange highlights the tensions that will likely define Trump’s return to power—a willingness to dismiss intelligence assessments when politically inconvenient, combined with open hostility toward journalists who ask challenging questions about those very decisions.
