Trump slams Saudi Khashoggi plot, US announces visa sanctions
US President Donald Trump heaped scorn on ally Saudi Arabia, saying the operation that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “very bad” and the cover-up in weeks afterward was the “worst … ever.”
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump heaped scorn on ally Saudi Arabia today, calling the Oct. 2 plot that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul “very bad” and attempts for weeks afterward to dissemble about it “the worst cover-up ever.”
“They had a very bad original concept, it was carried out poorly and the cover-up was the worst in the history of cover-ups,” an exasperated Trump told the White House press pool in the Oval Office today. “They had the worst cover-up ever.”
“Whoever thought of that idea I think is in big trouble and they should be in big trouble,” Trump said.
Trump’s considerably tougher tone on Riyadh came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that as a first step, the United States would be revoking the visas of those Saudis it has identified as being part of the operation, and would explore the possibility of imposing Global Magnitsky Act sanctions.
