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On Thursday, President Trump appeared to contradict the CIA's assessment of the assassination of the Washington Post writer, claiming that the Crown Prince denies "vehemently" and that the intelligence agency has only " feelings "and that there is no smoking gun in death.
The Washington Post reported that Trump was vague with the person to whom he had reproached the murder. He said, "Maybe the world should be held responsible because the world is a very, very vicious place."
Trump has been widely criticized for his reaction to the writer's murder. Despite his information, Trump said that he was not convinced that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was aware of the murder.
"King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of Mr. Khashoggi's murder. Our intelligence agencies continue to evaluate all the information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince has learned about this tragic event – maybe he did it and maybe not! Trump said in a long statement.
Trump's statement seemed to indicate that he did not wish to take action against the Saudi government in response to Khashoggi's assassination.
"I hate crime, I hate dissimulation. I'll tell you this: the crown prince hates him more than me and he vehemently denied it, "Trump said.
Many Republicans – even Sense. Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul, who share his view on this issue, have denounced Trump's decision not to impose harsher sanctions on bin Salman on the death and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate's highly influential External Relations Committee, said Wednesday that he was "stunned" by Trump's statement and compared it to a press release regarding the 39, Saudi Arabia.
"It's a delicate situation when we have a long-standing ally for decades, but we have a Crown Prince who, I believe, has ordered the murder of a journalist," Corker told Chattanooga TV channel WTVC. , in his country of origin. Tennessee. "We do not have a smoking gun. Everything indicates that he was aware and that he realized it. "
The Associated Press contributed to this report
