”Things happen”: Trump trivialized the murder of a journalist

In remarks about the death of Jamal Khashoggi and the suspicions that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered his assassination, made while the Crown Prince was seated next to him at the White House, Trump said that «things happen» to the «extremely controversial» journalist, downplaying the CIA’s findings.

Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist who was critical of the Saudi leadership, was killed in 2018 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get documents for his upcoming marriage.

According to Turkish and Saudi prosecutors, he was quickly overpowered and killed inside the building, then his body was dismembered and removed by a 15-man team that had flown in on Saudi government aircraft. His remains have never been found.

As Trump responded to a question about why the United States continues to support the Saudi Crown Prince despite the CIA’s conclusion that he likely ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Crown Prince was seated beside him at the White House.

Trump dismissed the assassination and immediately attacked the reporter for raising the issue, accusing him of embarrassing his guest: «You’re mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial.»

He then doubled down, saying: «Whether you like him or don’t like him, things happen. But [Prince Mohammed] knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.»

While Trump brushed off the killing with his «things happen» comment and by calling Khashoggi «extremely controversial», the CIA had already concluded with «high confidence» that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, directly linking the Saudi leadership to the premeditated murder.