Monday President Trump tweeted @8:37 a.m., that he spoke with “King of Saudi Arabia,” regarding missing presumed dead Washington Post reporter, Jamal Khashoggi. The King according to President Trump, “denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened, “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” In the tweet President Trump also announced that he was sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to speak with officials in Saudi Arabia.
Shortly after the tweet President Trump spoke with reports as he was departing for Florida and Georgia, in order to survey the damage brought by Hurricane Michael, he again stated that “the King firmly denies” any knowledge of what happened to Khashoggi. He added that while he wasn’t trying to “get into his mind,” referring to the King, but it sounded to President Trump, that “these could have been rogue killers, who knows?”
Trump: I just spoke with the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of what took place with regard to, as he said, his Saudi Arabian citizen. I’ve asked–and he firmly denied that. I’ve asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to immediately get on a plane and go to Saudi Arabia. Go to other places if necessary, which he probably will, but with regard to this go to Turkey if necessary. The King told me that Turkey and Saudi Arabia are working hand and hand very closely on getting to the bottom of what happened. So we’ll see what happens, but Mike Pompeo, [reporter started to ask a question] excuse me, Mike Pompeo is leaving literally within an hour or so, he’s heading to Saudi Arabia. We are going to leave nothing uncovered, with that being said, the King firmly denied any knowledge of it. He didn’t really know, maybe, I don’t wanna get into his mind, but it sounded to me like, maybe these could’ve been rogue killers, who knows. We’re going to try getting to the bottom of it very soon, but his was a flat denial.
Asked if he believed the denial President Trump said: All I can do is report what he told me and he told me in a very firm way that they had no knowledge of it. He said it very strongly.
Khashoggi as was reported at the News Blender arrived at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents he needed to marry his Turkish fiancee, but never left the consulate and is presumed dead, according to Turkish officials.
Last week as the News Blender reported Khashoggi, according to a letter Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rep Gerry Connolly (D-VA) sent the President, was a resident of the state of Virginia, here in the U.S. on an “O-1 visa,” that granted Khashoggi, our national protection.
During President Trump’s 60 minute interview that was taped last week, but aired on Sunday, President Trump said, “there will be severe punishment,” if it’s proved that Saudi Arabia did have something to do with the disappearance and apparent murder of Khashoggi.
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