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Ex-President Donald Trump appeared to shrug off the assassination of columnist Khashoggi, describing him as an "very contentious" person who was disliked.

White House Discussion with Saudi Arabian Leader

The remarks were made amid a White House meeting alongside Prince Mohammed, marking his inaugural appearance after the journalist's death abroad.

American spy agencies had previously concluded that the Saudi leader was behind the killing, yet the former president insisted that the crown prince "knew nothing" about it.

Trump's Reaction to Journalist's Question

Donald Trump additionally attacked the reporter who brought up the topic, suggesting that the network deserve to lose its license.

"Many people were not fond of that gentleman you're talking about," the former president commented. "Regardless of your opinion, events unfolded, yet he had no idea."

Prince Mohammed replied, "It's painful and it's a huge mistake, and we are striving to ensure a recurrence."

Economic Arrangements and Defense Transactions

The meeting additionally showcased promised Saudi spending in the United States, initially billed as a $600bn package, but subsequently raised to a trillion-dollar sum.

The former president stated his aim to sell top-tier F-35 aircraft to Riyadh, notwithstanding reservations from Israel and US intelligence.

Both leaders also confirmed discussions on a potential arrangement for the kingdom to establish diplomatic links with Tel Aviv conditional on a Palestinian state.

Regional Tensions and Challenges

The proposed F-35 transaction has raised anxiety in Israel, which currently possesses the stealth fighter locally.

US intelligence are also worried due to the kingdom's strong defense links with China, raising apprehensions about technology theft.

Nonetheless, Trump insisted that Saudi Arabia should receive equivalent top-level jets as the Israelis, citing their status as "strong partners" of America.

Broader Agreements

Alongside military transactions, administration representatives mentioned hopes for multibillion-dollar Saudi Arabian investment in America's artificial intelligence sector, along with deeper partnership in atomic energy initiatives.

"We confirm our plan to boost the proposed investment to almost one trillion," Prince Mohammed stated.

Diplomatic Complications

The former president's team is aiming a nuclear and security arrangement with the kingdom, that the Biden administration previously attempted without success to finalize.

However, the ongoing situation, such as the Hamas attack and ensuing operations in Palestinian territories, have made difficult the likelihood of such a deal.

"After October 7, I believe the price for the kingdom to sign up to normalization with Tel Aviv has gone up substantially," a one-time peace envoy remarked.

Prospective Negotiations

"We desire to participate the normalization agreements, but we require to ensure a definite route toward Palestinian statehood," Prince Mohammed remarked.

Trump agreed, noting, "We've had an excellent discussion regarding normalization. We talked about various options."

"We covered about numerous issues quickly. We will continue more details," he continued. "Yet, in my view you possess a strong understanding of the agreements."

Controversy Over Commercial Links

The visit was also contentious over possible links involving the Trump family's commercial ventures with Gulf nations.

Trump rejected any conflict of interest, stating he has "stepped away from his companies" and committed "100% of his energy" to the presidency.

"I am not connected regarding their commercial activities," he remarked. "What my family does is permissible. They do business globally. They've done very little with Riyadh, truthfully. I'm sure opportunities exist. Whatever they have undertaken has been successful."