Trump Takes More Harsh Tone With Saudis: ‘Worst Cover-up’ In History

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press pool after signing S.3021, America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, in the Oval Office of the White House on October 23, 2018 ... WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press pool after signing S.3021, America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, in the Oval Office of the White House on October 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. The President took questions from the pool on the caravan and Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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President Donald Trump has personally questioned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “in a couple of different ways” about his knowledge of the killing of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi in recent days and told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he wants to believe him.

“My first question to him was, ‘Did you know anything about it in terms of the initial planning,’ ” Trump told the WSJ Tuesday in the Oval Office, adding that Salman told him he had no knowledge of the scheme. “I said, ‘Where did it start?’ And he said it started at lower levels. … I want to believe them. I really want to believe them.”

Trump said that while he’s convinced Saudi King Salman was not involved in the murder, which Turkish officials have called “savage,” he’s not so confident that the prince was not apprised to the plan.

“Well, the prince is running things over there more so at this stage. He’s running things and so if anybody were going to be, it would be him,” Trump told WSJ

Trump took a sharper stance while speaking to military leaders during a dinner later Tuesday.

“They had a very bad original concept. It was carried out poorly and the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups,” Trump said, according to The Hill. “Very simple. Bad deal, should have never been thought of. Somebody really messed up.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Shorter Trump “Better planning of the murder and dismemberment would have kept things quiet and spared both of us these embarrassments on the world stage. Do better next time!”

  2. I disagree, he’s not taking a harsher tone he’s critiquing the operation as if this was an episode of The Apprentice.

  3. It’s a pretty bad coverup. Very bad. But not the worst in the history, pal. Not even close.

  4. …and the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups,” Trump said

    The superlative president.

  5. An elderly, out of touch king who’s let down by the ambitious maneuverings of close family members who left him in the dark.

    I’m sure Trump can’t relate to that.

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