Why did Donald Trump back Saudi Arabia and what did he say about Khashoggi murder?

Mr Khashoggi was murdered on 2 October during his visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and Trump refused to listen to his murder recording.

Why did Trump back Saudi Arabia?

In a statement named "America First!", Trump said that Saudi Arabia is a "steadfast partner" that has agreed to invest "a record amount of money" in the US.

Trump also mentioned that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "could very well" have known about Khashoggi's murder, reported BBC.

But added: "In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran."

"Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn't!

"We may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi."

What did he say about Khashoggi murder?

Donald Trump says he won't listen to the Jamal Khashoggi murder tape.

The president called the recording "very violent, very vicious" in an interview with Fox News.

He said he had been fully briefed on the document of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in an Istanbul embassy.

Trump insisted his staff had told him it was not necessary to listen to.

He said: "It's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it.

''I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it."

On Saturday, Trump said his administration will "be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." He said the report will include "who did it." It was unclear if the report would be made public.

American intelligence agencies have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, according to a US official.

Trump said the prince has denied involvement.

He told Fox: "Will anybody really know?"

"At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good."

Who was Jamal Khashoggi?

Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian journalist, columnist, author and former editor-in-chief of Al Arab news.

He was born in Madinah, on October 13, 1958.

Jamal earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Indiana State University in 1982 and 25 years later, started work as a columnist for the Washington Post.

He was engaged to marry Hatice Cengiz, 36.

Khashoggi is the grandson of Muhammad Khashsoggi, who married the personal physician to King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He is also a first cousin of Dodi Fayed, who dated Diana Princess of Wales when they were both killed in a Paris car crash.

The 59-year-old had more than 1.6million Twitter followers and was known as an outspoken and high-profile critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He lived in self-imposed exile in the US after a number of his friends were arrested.

He worked on a number of Arab titles and TV channels since starting his career in 1985, rising from reporter to foreign correspondent, to editor in chief.

On October 23, it was claimed the dismembered body of Khashoggi had been found in the Saudi consulate's garden.

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