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Ex-President Trump seemed to dismiss the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, calling him an "highly divisive" figure that was disliked.

Oval Office Talks with Saudi Crown Prince

These comments came during a White House gathering with the Saudi crown prince, representing the prince's initial trip since the columnist's killing in Istanbul.

Intelligence officials had previously concluded that Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing, but the former president stated that the prince "had no knowledge" about it.

The Former President's Response to Reporter's Inquiry

Trump further rebuked the news professional who raised the topic, implying that the network deserve to lose its license.

"Numerous folks were not fond of that man you're talking about," the former president remarked. "Irrespective of personal views, events unfolded, but he had no idea."

The Saudi leader stated, "It's painful and a significant blunder, and we are striving to stop such incidents in future."

Economic Agreements and Defense Sales

The talks also highlighted proposed Saudi Arabian spending in the US, initially billed as $600 billion, however later increased to a trillion-dollar sum.

Trump announced his intention to sell advanced F-35 planes to Riyadh, despite concerns from the Israeli government and US intelligence.

The pair additionally revealed talks regarding a possible deal for Riyadh to normalize relations with Tel Aviv conditional on a two-state solution.

Regional Tensions and Complications

The proposed sale of F-35s has raised alarm within Israel, that has exclusive access to the F-35 locally.

US intelligence are also worried given Riyadh's close military cooperation with China, raising fears about security breaches.

However, Trump stated that the kingdom deserves the same advanced specification aircraft as Israel, pointing to their status as "strong partners" of the US.

Additional Agreements

In addition to arms deals, administration representatives noted expectations for multi-billion Saudi capital in the US artificial intelligence sector, as well as deeper collaboration on nuclear energy initiatives.

"We are pleased to state our plan to boost the proposed investment to almost one trillion," Prince Mohammed announced.

Political Issues

The Trump administration is aiming a energy and safety arrangement with Saudi Arabia, which the Biden administration previously attempted without success to finalize.

But, current developments, such as the Hamas attack and subsequent bombardment in Palestinian territories, have made difficult the chances of normalization.

"Following the attacks, I think the cost for Riyadh to agree to normalization with Israel has gone up substantially," a former US Middle East negotiator remarked.

Future Talks

"We desire to participate the Abraham Accords, but we also want to ensure a clear path for Palestinian sovereignty," the Saudi leader remarked.

Trump echoed, noting, "We've had a productive talk on the Abraham Accords. We discussed about various options."

"We discussed about a lot briefly. We'll be discussing more details," he added. "However, I believe you possess a very good feeling for the Abraham Accords."

Controversy Over Commercial Links

The encounter additionally disputed due to possible overlap involving the Trump family's private business interests and Middle Eastern nations.

Trump rejected the possibility of impropriety, claiming he had "relinquished control from his business empire" while dedicated "100% of his energy" to the presidency.

"I am not connected to do with the family business," he stated. "Their business dealings is fine. They operate globally. Their activities are limited in the kingdom, actually. I believe they have potential. Whatever they have undertaken has been successful."