(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday, where the prime minister was asked about the country’s involvement in Sept. 11 as well as the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
“We have to focus on reality,” he said. “Reality is that Osama bin Laden used Saudi people in that event for one main purpose: to destroy the American-Saudi relationship. That’s the purpose of 9/11.”
Lawyers for relatives of 9/11 victims say a group of extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia aided the 9/11 hijackers who flew planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
In lawsuits, hundreds of victims’ relatives and injured survivors, along with insurance companies and businesses, argue employees of the Saudi government directly and knowingly assisted the airplane hijackers and plotters and fueled al-Qaida’s development into a terrorist organization by funding charities that supported them.
Trump dismissed questions directed to the crown prince about Khashoggi’s 2018 killing.
“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of the international incident.
His wife, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, provided NewsNation with the following statement: “This is not justification to murder him. While Jamal was a good, transparent and brave man, many may not have agreed with his opinions and desire for freedom of the press. The Crown Prince said he was sorry so he should meet me, apologize and compensate me for the murder of my husband.”