Trump Honors the Man Who Had Jamal Khashoggi Killed

The intelligence community didn’t hedge. They pointed to MBS’s control over Saudi decision-making, the involvement of his personal security detail, and his history of using violence against dissidents. The CIA had evidence of MBS texting back and forth with the guy who ran the kill team. There were audio recordings from Turkish intelligence of Khashoggi’s final moments. His body was cut apart and has never been found.

But sure, MBS “knew nothing about it.”

Trump kept going. He praised MBS’s human rights record as “incredible,” and called him “an extremely respected man” and a longtime friend. Never mind that the State Department’s own 2024 report on Saudi Arabia lists ongoing problems with arbitrary killings, disappearances, torture, restrictions on free speech, and restrictions on religious freedom. Just incredible work on human rights.