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Ex-President Donald Trump appeared to shrug off the assassination of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, calling him an "very contentious" person who was not well-liked.

White House Discussion with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince

These comments were delivered throughout a presidential meeting alongside the Saudi crown prince, representing his inaugural appearance after the columnist's killing in Turkey.

American spy agencies assessed that Mohammed bin Salman was behind the operation, but the former president insisted that the prince "knew nothing" regarding it.

Trump's Reply to Journalist's Question

Trump additionally attacked the reporter who raised the issue, suggesting that the network ought to forfeit its license.

"Many people disliked that man you're talking about," the former president remarked. "Irrespective of personal views, things occurred, but he knew nothing."

The Saudi leader stated, "It's painful and a significant blunder, and we are doing our best to prevent such incidents in future."

Economic Agreements and Defense Sales

The meeting further emphasized proposed Saudi Arabian funding in the US, originally presented as $600 billion, however later increased to a trillion-dollar sum.

The former president announced his plan to supply advanced F-35 aircraft to Riyadh, in spite of objections by Israeli officials and intelligence communities.

The pair additionally revealed discussions on a potential deal for Riyadh to establish relations with the Israeli government in exchange for a two-state solution.

Regional Issues and Challenges

The potential sale of F-35s has raised alarm in Israel, that is the only operator of the F-35 in the region.

Intelligence officials are apprehensive given Saudi Arabia's extensive security ties with Beijing, raising concerns over intellectual property risks.

Nonetheless, the former president stated that Riyadh deserves the same advanced specification jets as Tel Aviv, citing them being "reliable friends" of the United States.

Additional Deals

Alongside arms deals, administration representatives noted expectations for multi-billion Saudi Arabian investment in the US artificial intelligence sector, along with deeper partnership on civil nuclear power development.

"We confirm that we are increasing the proposed investment to nearly $1 trillion," the crown prince announced.

Diplomatic Challenges

The former president's government is also seeking an atomic and defense arrangement with the kingdom, that the current government had tried without success to secure.

However, recent events, including the Hamas attack followed by later operations in the region, have hindered the prospects of an agreement.

"After October 7, in my view the cost for Saudi to agree to diplomatic ties with the Israelis has increased significantly," an ex- peace envoy commented.

Prospective Discussions

"We desire to participate the diplomatic deals, however we require to ensure a concrete plan toward Palestinian statehood," the Saudi leader remarked.

Trump echoed, noting, "We held a productive discussion about diplomatic ties. We spoke about one state, two state."

"We covered about a lot briefly. We plan to explore more details," he continued. "But I think you possess a strong understanding for the Abraham Accords."

Controversy Regarding Commercial Links

The encounter was also disputed due to perceived connections between the former president's family private business interests with Gulf countries.

The former president rejected the possibility of conflict of interest, asserting he has "relinquished control from his companies" and devoted "100% of his energy" to governing.

"I am not connected to do with their commercial activities," he said. "Their business dealings is fine. They do business globally. Their activities are limited with Saudi Arabia, in fact. I expect they have potential. And anything they've done has been very good."