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Ex-President Donald Trump has largely ignored the assassination of journalist Khashoggi, calling him an "extremely controversial" person who was not well-liked.

Oval Office Discussion alongside Saudi Crown Prince

The remarks were delivered amid a White House gathering alongside the Saudi crown prince, marking the prince's initial trip after the columnist's killing in Istanbul.

Intelligence officials had previously concluded that Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing, however the former president maintained that the prince "had no knowledge" of the incident.

The Former President's Reply to Journalist's Question

Donald Trump further rebuked the news professional who raised the topic, proposing that the media outlet should lose its broadcasting rights.

"Many people did not like that gentleman you are referring to," the former president commented. "Irrespective of personal views, events unfolded, but he had no idea."

The Saudi leader replied, "It's painful and it's a huge mistake, and we are striving to ensure it from happening again."

Financial Agreements and Defense Transactions

The discussion further emphasized promised Saudi Arabian investment in the US, first announced as a $600bn package, but potentially expanded to $1 trillion.

Trump announced his plan to supply advanced F-35 aircraft to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns from Israel as well as US intelligence.

Both leaders further acknowledged discussions regarding a possible arrangement for the kingdom to establish ties with the Israeli government in return for a Palestinian state.

Regional Tensions and Complications

The proposed fighter jet deal has triggered alarm among Israeli officials, which currently possesses the advanced plane locally.

US intelligence are also worried because of Riyadh's extensive defense links with Beijing, raising fears over security breaches.

Nevertheless, Trump maintained that the kingdom is entitled to comparable advanced specification planes as the Israelis, pointing to their status as "reliable friends" of America.

Broader Deals

Besides arms deals, US officials noted expectations of massive Saudi capital in the United States' AI industry, along with enhanced partnership in nuclear energy initiatives.

"We are pleased to state that we are increasing the initial amount to nearly $1 trillion," Prince Mohammed declared.

Political Complications

The former president's administration is additionally pursuing an atomic and defense cooperation agreement with Riyadh, which President Biden's team previously pursued but failed to achieve.

Yet, current developments, including the Hamas attack and subsequent bombardment in Palestinian territories, have complicated the chances of normalization.

"Following the attacks, in my view the conditions for the kingdom to sign up to diplomatic ties with the Israelis has increased significantly," a one-time US Middle East negotiator remarked.

Future Talks

"We want to participate the Abraham Accords, yet we also want to secure a concrete plan for a two-state solution," the crown prince remarked.

The former president agreed, noting, "We've had a productive conversation on the Abraham Accords. We talked about various options."

"We discussed about a lot briefly. We'll be discussing it further," Trump concluded. "But I think you have a very good feeling regarding normalization."

Criticism Over Business Interests

The meeting additionally disputed due to possible connections between Trump's relatives commercial ventures and Gulf states.

The former president denied any ethical concerns, claiming he had "relinquished control from his enterprises" while devoted "100% of his energy" to governing.

"I am not connected to do with my family's enterprises," he stated. "Their business dealings is acceptable. They do business globally. They've done very little with Riyadh, actually. I'm sure opportunities exist. Whatever they have undertaken has been successful."