President Trump reportedly admitted to protecting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from pressure from Congress following the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I saved his ass,” Trump said in a 2018 interview with journalist Bob Woodward, according to an early copy of his upcoming book “Rage,” obtained by The Hill.
Trump spoke to Woodward after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the veteran journalist pressed Trump on Khashoggi’s death in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey.
Khashoggi in his writings was a stark critic of the Saudi government and the crown prince in particular.
“The people at the Post are upset about the Khashoggi killing,” Woodward told Trump, according to his book. “That is one of the most gruesome things. You yourself have said.”
Trump sought to steer away from the topic, noting “Iran is killing 36 people a day,” but Woodward — who works at the Post — persisted.
“I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop,” Trump said of the crown prince.
According to the book, the president was wary of the economic consequences of a congressional measure seeking to block an $8 billion Saudi arms sale. The president eventually vetoed the measure.
“Let them trade with Russia instead. Let them buy thousands of planes from Russia instead of the United States. Let them go to China and buy all of their military equipment there instead of the United States,” Trump told Woodward, sarcastically. “Fellas, you’ve got to be smart.”
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Trump reportedly said he protected Saudi crown prince from Congress: "I saved his ass" https://t.co/Ni2mXikjPF pic.twitter.com/fbWwQlm1dd
— The Hill (@thehill) September 10, 2020
Yep, we kind of already knew that. Still you get a very sick feeling reading this stuff confirmed.
Excerpt in question: Woodward was discussing the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. "I saved his ass," Trump had said amid the US outcry following Khashoggi's murder, the book says. "I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop.” https://t.co/tneYJDnZzh
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 10, 2020
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