Trump says it 'certainly looks like' missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead
President Donald Trump has said that it "certainly looks" like missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead
Asked whether he thought Mr Khashoggi was dead, Mr Trump told reporters, "It certainly looks that way to me. It's very sad," before departing for a Montana campaign rally.
Mr Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who lives in the United States, has been missing for more than two weeks. He was last seen entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.
"This one has caught the imagination of the world, unfortunately," Mr Trump told The New York Times. "It's not a positive. Not a positive".
"Unless the miracle of all miracles happens, I would acknowledge that he's dead," he said. "That's based on everything — intelligence coming from every side."
While Saudi government officials have denied having killed Mr Khashoggi, they have failed to present evidence that the columnist actually left the compound. The Turkish government, meanwhile, has claimed it has audio that proves Mr Khashoggi was killed and dismembered soon after he arrived in the building.
Mr Khashoggi had visited the consulate to deal with documents relating to his upcoming wedding.
Mr Trump's comment to reporters comes hours after he tweeted that he had met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had visited Riyadh to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials. Mr Trump told The New York Times that allegations that the crown prince ordered Mr Khashoggi's killing would raise deep questions about the US alliance with Saudi Arabia.
Mr Pompeo told reporters that he made clear to the Saudis during his visit to Riyadh earlier this week that the US “take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously.”
Mr Trump and his administration have faced criticism over their response to the disappearance, with members of Congress pushing for a robust response. Mr Trump has said that he does not want to put a strategic and economic partnership at risk, including major arms deals between the two nations.
“I think it's important for us all to remember to, we have a long - since 1932 - a long strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Mr Pompeo said after his meeting with the president.
“They made clear to me that they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi. They also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they will do so in a timely fashion,” Pompeo added.
Turkish investigators left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early on Thursday after searching the building and consular vehicles, a Reuters witness said. They used bright lights to illuminate the garden. Earlier, they spent nearly nine hours in the Saudi consul's residence along with Saudi investigators.
Reuters contributed to this report
