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Ex-President Donald Trump has largely ignored the 2018 murder of reporter Jamal Khashoggi, describing him as an "extremely controversial" person who was not well-liked.

White House Discussion with Saudi Crown Prince

The statements came throughout a presidential meeting with the Saudi crown prince, marking his inaugural appearance after the journalist's death abroad.

Intelligence officials had previously concluded that the Saudi leader was behind the assassination, yet Trump maintained that the crown prince "was unaware" about it.

The Former President's Reaction to Journalist's Question

Donald Trump further rebuked the journalist who asked about the topic, proposing that the broadcaster should lose its license.

"Numerous folks were not fond of that man you are referring to," the former president stated. "Whether you like him or not, incidents happened, however he was unaware."

The Saudi leader stated, "It is distressing and a significant blunder, and we are striving to ensure such incidents in future."

Economic Deals and Military Transactions

The talks further emphasized planned Saudi Arabian funding in the United States, originally presented as $600 billion, but later increased to a trillion-dollar sum.

The former president confirmed his aim to sell sophisticated F-35 aircraft to the Saudis, notwithstanding reservations from the Israeli government as well as American spy agencies.

The two men also confirmed negotiations regarding a possible arrangement for the kingdom to normalize diplomatic links with the Israeli government conditional on a Palestinian state.

Regional Tensions and Challenges

The potential fighter jet deal has triggered alarm in Israel, that has exclusive access to the F-35 in the region.

Intelligence officials are also worried given Riyadh's strong security ties with China, highlighting apprehensions regarding intellectual property risks.

Nonetheless, Trump insisted that the kingdom should receive the same top-level jets as Tel Aviv, citing their role as "reliable friends" of the US.

Additional Deals

Besides arms deals, US officials mentioned hopes of massive Saudi funding in the United States' AI sector, as well as greater partnership in nuclear energy development.

"We are pleased to state that we are increasing the proposed investment to around a trillion dollars," the crown prince declared.

Political Challenges

The former president's administration is also seeking a energy and safety partnership deal with Riyadh, which the Biden administration had tried but failed to achieve.

Yet, current developments, including the October assault followed by later operations in the region, have made difficult the likelihood of normalization.

"Post-October 7, I think the price for Riyadh to commit to normalization with the Israelis has increased substantially," an ex- American diplomat stated.

Prospective Discussions

"We wish to be part the diplomatic deals, but we require to secure a clear path for a two-state solution," the Saudi leader remarked.

Trump echoed, noting, "We conducted an excellent conversation about diplomatic ties. We discussed about potential solutions."

"We talked about numerous issues quickly. We'll be discussing it further," Trump concluded. "But I think you possess a very good feeling regarding normalization."

Controversy Regarding Commercial Links

The meeting further disputed over possible connections between the Trump family's financial activities and Middle Eastern states.

Trump rejected any ethical concerns, stating he had "withdrawn from his enterprises" and committed "100% of his energy" to his role.

"I have nothing with my family's enterprises," he said. "Their actions is acceptable. They operate worldwide. They have minimal involvement with Saudi Arabia, truthfully. I expect they could do a lot. And anything they've done has been successful."