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Ex-President Trump has largely ignored the 2018 murder of reporter Jamal Khashoggi, calling him an "very contentious" individual that was disliked.

White House Meeting alongside Saudi Arabian Leader

The remarks were delivered throughout a White House gathering with Prince Mohammed, representing his inaugural appearance since the columnist's killing in Turkey.

Intelligence officials determined that Mohammed bin Salman authorized the killing, yet the former president stated that the prince "was unaware" of the incident.

Trump's Reply to Journalist's Question

Donald Trump additionally attacked the reporter who asked about the matter, implying that the network should lose its broadcasting rights.

"A lot of individuals disliked that man you mention," Trump remarked. "Irrespective of personal views, events unfolded, yet he was unaware."

The crown prince responded, "It is distressing and a significant blunder, and we are working hard to ensure it from happening again."

Financial Deals and Military Transactions

The discussion additionally showcased planned Saudi spending in the US, initially billed at six hundred billion dollars, but later increased to a trillion-dollar sum.

Trump announced his plan to supply advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Saudis, despite reservations from Israel as well as US intelligence.

The pair also confirmed talks regarding a possible deal for the kingdom to establish relations with Israel in exchange for a two-state solution.

Middle Eastern Concerns and Complications

The proposed fighter jet deal has triggered alarm among Israeli officials, which has exclusive access to the advanced plane locally.

American spy agencies are also worried given Riyadh's strong military cooperation with Beijing, highlighting fears over intellectual property risks.

However, Trump stated that Riyadh should receive comparable top-level aircraft as Tel Aviv, pointing to their role as "good allies" of the US.

Additional Agreements

In addition to arms deals, American authorities mentioned plans for multibillion-dollar Saudi Arabian funding in America's AI sector, as well as greater partnership on civil nuclear power initiatives.

"We confirm that we are increasing the proposed investment to almost one trillion," Prince Mohammed declared.

Diplomatic Issues

The former president's team is aiming a nuclear and security partnership deal with the kingdom, that the current government had tried but failed to achieve.

However, recent events, including the Hamas attack followed by ensuing bombardment in the region, have made difficult the chances of normalization.

"Post-October 7, in my view the cost for Saudi to agree to normalization with the Israelis has risen considerably," a former American diplomat stated.

Future Negotiations

"We desire to participate the diplomatic deals, but we require to ensure a clear path for Palestinian sovereignty," Prince Mohammed stated.

The former president agreed, saying, "We conducted a productive talk on the Abraham Accords. We discussed about potential solutions."

"We discussed about many topics in a short time. We'll be discussing additional aspects," he continued. "However, I believe you possess a very good feeling of the agreements."

Criticism Over Financial Ties

The meeting further contentious over alleged connections involving Trump's relatives financial activities and Gulf countries.

The former president denied the possibility of conflict of interest, stating he has "withdrawn from his companies" and committed "all his efforts" to the presidency.

"I have nothing regarding the family business," he said. "Their business dealings is acceptable. They work worldwide. They've done very little with Riyadh, actually. I'm sure opportunities exist. Whatever they have undertaken has been positive."