Who will be the first reporter to ask Trump whether he’s heard the CIA’s copy of that audio tape of Khashoggi’s murder.
Or who will ask 45* about the CIA’s intercepted phone call that indicates MbS directed his brother, the Saudi ambassador to the US to assure Khashoogi that his trip to the Istanbul embassy would be safe,
The situation — and Trump’s position in it — now carries eerie parallels to the Russia investigation.
The U.S. intelligence community concluded Russia interfered in the U.S. election and favored Trump, but Trump has spent most of his presidency publicly casting doubt on this and resisting punitive measures. His administration has still punished Russia. But Trump, whose personal interest in doubting Russian interference is clear (he feels it undermines his 2016 election win), has frequently been a less-than-willing participant.
And just like then, The Post is reporting Trump remains skeptical of the finding that the prince was responsible — despite the evidence:
- President Trump has resisted pinning the blame for the killing on Mohammed, who enjoys a close relationship with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser. Privately, aides said, Trump has been shown evidence of the prince’s involvement but remains skeptical that Mohammed ordered the killing.
- The president has also asked CIA and State Department officials where Khashoggi’s body is and has grown frustrated that they have not been able to provide an answer. The CIA does not know the location of Khashoggi’s remains, according to the people familiar with the agency’s assessment.
Trump said Saturday that he hadn’t been briefed on the matter yet and that he would be speaking with the CIA. But aides say he’s seen evidence implicating Mohammed and looked for ways to avoid pinning the blame on him.
“Donald Trump says the people in California were burned beyond recognition, they can't even see the bodies.”… like the invisible F-35.
An intercepted phone call between Khashoggi and the Saudi prince’s brother, Khalid bin Salman, was among the evidence that helped the CIA arrive at its conclusion, the Post reported.
In the call, Khalid bin Salman, who is the Saudi ambassador to the United States, told Khashoggi that he should go to Istanbul for the documents and assured him that it would be safe to do so, the paper reported.
Though it’s unclear if Khalid bin Salman was involved in the plan, it was Mohammed bin Salman who told him to make the call, The Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter who could only speak on the condition of anonymity.
abcnews.go.com/...