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Ex-President Donald Trump has largely ignored the assassination of columnist Khashoggi, calling him an "extremely controversial" figure who was disliked.

White House Discussion with Saudi Crown Prince

The remarks were made amid a White House session alongside the Saudi crown prince, representing his first visit since Khashoggi's murder abroad.

Intelligence officials determined that Mohammed bin Salman was behind the killing, but Trump stated that the crown prince "knew nothing" regarding it.

The Former President's Response to Journalist's Inquiry

Donald Trump additionally attacked the reporter who raised the matter, implying that the media outlet ought to forfeit its license.

"Many people did not like that man you're talking about," Trump stated. "Whether you like him or not, things occurred, however he was unaware."

Prince Mohammed replied, "It's painful and it's a huge mistake, and we are working hard to prevent a recurrence."

Economic Deals and Military Sales

The meeting further emphasized promised Saudi spending in the US, originally presented at six hundred billion dollars, though potentially expanded to $1 trillion.

The former president stated his plan to provide advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Saudis, in spite of concerns by Israeli officials and American spy agencies.

The two men further acknowledged negotiations on a potential deal for Saudi Arabia to establish ties with the Israeli government in return for a sovereign Palestine.

Regional Tensions and Complications

The proposed sale of F-35s has raised alarm among Israeli officials, that has exclusive access to the F-35 in the region.

American spy agencies are apprehensive because of Riyadh's close security ties with China, raising concerns about intellectual property risks.

However, Trump maintained that Riyadh deserves comparable advanced specification jets as the Israelis, noting their role as "reliable friends" of the United States.

Broader Deals

Besides arms deals, US officials stated expectations of massive Saudi Arabian capital in America's AI industry, along with enhanced collaboration on civil nuclear power projects.

"We can announce that we are increasing the proposed investment to around a trillion dollars," the Saudi leader stated.

Diplomatic Challenges

The Trump team is aiming an atomic and defense cooperation agreement with the kingdom, which the current government previously pursued unsuccessfully to achieve.

But, current developments, including the Hamas attack followed by later bombardment in Palestinian territories, have hindered the prospects of an agreement.

"Post-October 7, I believe the price for the kingdom to sign up to normalization with Tel Aviv has risen considerably," a former US Middle East negotiator commented.

Prospective Discussions

"We wish to join the diplomatic deals, yet we also want to ensure a concrete plan for Palestinian sovereignty," Prince Mohammed stated.

Trump echoed, saying, "We conducted a very good conversation on the Abraham Accords. We talked about potential solutions."

"We covered about a lot briefly. We will continue it further," Trump continued. "However, I believe you have a very good feeling regarding normalization."

Debate Regarding Financial Ties

The visit additionally controversial because of perceived links between the Trump family's commercial ventures with Middle Eastern states.

Trump dismissed any ethical concerns, asserting he has "stepped away from his enterprises" and devoted "all his efforts" to the presidency.

"I am not connected regarding the family business," he stated. "Their business dealings is permissible. They work worldwide. They have minimal involvement with Saudi Arabia, actually. I expect they have potential. And anything they've done has been positive."