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Donald Trump has boasted of “saving the skin” of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the United States Congress of being responsible for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to new excerpts from interviews with US President Bob Woodward. writes Agerpres.
“I saved his skin,” the Republican billionaire told reporter Woodward, who will publish his new book “Fury” on Tuesday.
“I managed to get Congress to leave it alone. I managed to stop them,” he added, according to excerpts broadcast Thursday by the Business Insider website.
US senators, including the president’s Republican camp, have officially held the prince responsible for the murder. But Donald Trump has always supported him.
When asked by Bob Woodward about the assassination, the US president first tried to create a distraction: “Yes, but Iran kills 36 people a day, so …” he said, according to the excerpts.
Pressured by his interlocutor, he finally insisted on MBS’s denials. He will always say he didn’t, “Trump said.” He tells everyone and honestly I’m glad he says that, “he said,” he never said he did, “he said.
“Do you think he did it?” The reporter asked Trump. “No, he says he didn’t,” he said. “I know, but do you really believe him?” Insisted the journalist.
“He very forcefully says no,” said the US president, before emphasizing once again that Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on American products to justify the importance of keeping this ally.
In a final verdict on Monday, a Saudi court overturned the five death sentences handed down in the murder case and sentenced eight unidentified defendants to between seven and 20 years in prison.
Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post and a critic of the Saudi regime after being approached by him for the first time, was assassinated and his body cut to pieces in October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he traveled to collect a document.
He was 59 years old at the time of his death and his remains were never found.
The assassination plunged Saudi Arabia into one of its worst diplomatic crises and tarnished the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or “MBS,” designated by Turkish and US officials as a sponsor of the assassination.
After initially denying the murder and then advancing several versions of events, Riyadh finally admitted that it was committed by Saudi agents who acted alone and without taking orders from the leaders.
Editing: Cristina Iancu
