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During his conversation with The Times, Mr. Trump was unusually guarded. He refused repeated requests to discuss the sequence of events that led to the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi or the role of the Crown Prince.
Mr. Trump acknowledged, in part, that this caution reflected his recognition that the Khashoggi affair now posed a greater challenge than other issues "because it took a greater life that she would not normally do. "
Nevertheless, Mr Trump stressed the value of the alliance with Saudi Arabia for US military contractors and other companies. "They have been a great ally and they have bought huge amounts of things and various investments in this country, which I appreciate," he said.
The fury of Mr. Khashoggi put a strain on these relationships. Before Mr. Mnuchin withdrew from the conference, known as the Future Investment Initiative, a flood of Wall Street and high tech executives was canceled, citing the uncertainties surrounding Mr. Khashoggi.
Mnuchin planned to speak at the conference during the week in the Middle East, in six countries dedicated to combating the financing of terrorism. Several important leaders canceled their project, as well as British, French and Dutch ministers.
The Treasury Secretary, who was responding to calls from executives over the past few days on the wisdom of leaving, had urged people to focus on facts and evidence. However, the pressure to cancel – including calls from Republican lawmakers – has become too heavy.
With so many foreign executives and officials who had decided to go to Riyadh, Mr. Mnuchin's presence was a litmus test for the US commitment to human rights. After Mnuchin's decision, Goldman Sachs announced that Dina H. Powell, a senior executive who was previously Assistant National Security Advisor at the White House, would not attend.
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