Trump’s Complicity in the Khashoggi Murder
How Donald Trump’s cover-up of Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination revealed the pattern of corruption that still defines his relationship with Saudi Arabia... and the world
Dear Readers,
As the world revisits the relationship between Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), it’s worth recalling one of the most chilling episodes of modern diplomacy that marked a turning point for American credibility. The 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was not only a grotesque act of political violence, it was also a test of moral leadership. Trump failed that test spectacularly and chose personal gain and political convenience over truth and justice.
I write this as someone who served on the White House National Security Council (NSC) at the time. Crisis management for this episode was jointly conducted by the Middle East and European Affairs directorates, the latter overseeing Turkey, where the crime occurred. From inside government the episode was recognized for what it was: a clear test of whether the United States would uphold its values when confronted with an autocrat’s brutality.
The Murder and the Cover-Up
The killing took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2, 2018, inside the Saudi consulate. Despite overwhelming evidence — including audio recordings captured by Turkish intelligence and forensic proof tying the murder squad directly to senior Saudi officials that was later transmitted to the CIA — Trump publicly exonerated MBS, insisting the Crown Prince “knew nothing about it.”
Trump absolved MBS despite the CIA’s internal conclusion that he had personally approved the killing. Both contemporaneous media reports and a later declassified 2021 Office of the Director of National Intelligence report confirm that Trump was aware of MBS’s complicity and still participated in the cover-up.
He ignored all of it. Trump dismissed the CIA’s assessment with his characteristic shrug — “Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t” — and dictated a formal White House statement asserting that America would remain a “steadfast partner” of Saudi Arabia, citing arms sales and investment. That statement, issued on November 20, 2018, was a transactional absolution, broadcast to the world.
The Transactional Relationship
Trump’s relationship with MBS had already been defined by money and spectacle. In March 2018, he hosted the Crown Prince in the Oval Office, complete with printed charts displaying billions in Saudi arms purchases — props to flatter MBS and himself alike.
In November 2025, Trump once again rolled out the red carpet, staging a lavish, state-level reception and once again asserting that MBS bore no responsibility for Khashoggi’s murder. Reopening this abhorrent episode was more than a gesture of friendship: it was a reminder of the debt MBS owes Trump for having whitewashed that crime seven years earlier (TIME coverage).
The rewards for Trump have been substantial. His family and enterprises have become beneficiaries of Saudi-linked investments and partnerships:
Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners secured a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund shortly after leaving government.
The Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour now stages high-profile tournaments at Trump-owned courses across the United States and abroad.
And in 2025, the Saudi developer Dar Global announced plans to tokenize a Trump-branded hotel project in the Maldives via cryptocurrency, enabling Gulf investors to profit through digital assets tied to Trump’s brand.
While direct Saudi government cryptocurrency investments personally enriching Trump are only now being uncovered, the pattern is unmistakable. The Trump Organization continues to act as a conduit for Gulf capital and crypto-financed projects, following the same transactional logic that began with Khashoggi’s cover-up.
The Unreleased Call Record
The most damning evidence remains hidden. The detailed call readout between Trump and MBS following Khashoggi’s murder exists - it is not conjecture. Its release would confirm what Trump’s public statements already reveal: a callous disregard for the murder of an American resident and journalist, an eagerness to shield an authoritarian ally, and a willingness to trade America’s integrity for personal benefit.
Like the infamous Trump–Zelenskyy call that exposed his attempt to extort Ukraine, the Trump–MBS call would show a similar pattern: transactional diplomacy devoid of morality. It is another piece in the broader story of a man who used the presidency to enrich himself, reward foreign autocrats, and dismantle the ethical foundations of U.S. foreign policy.
Why It Matters
When I testified before Congress in 2019, I said, “Here, right matters.” That principle applies far beyond our borders. It matters that we tell the truth about what happened to Jamal Khashoggi and about the American president who chose profit over principle.
This episode wasn’t an isolated moral failure; it was the opening chapter of a larger betrayal. Trump’s indifference to Khashoggi’s murder, his obstruction of accountability, and his continuing entanglement with Saudi-backed ventures form a straight line of corruption that runs from Istanbul in 2018 to Riyadh and Palm Beach today.
Releasing the Trump–MBS call record would not only offer closure for Khashoggi’s family; it would give the American people a clear, documented view of how Trump subordinated U.S. values to personal greed. The truth must be part of the historical record and accountability, even delayed, still matters.
Key Sources
Washington Post: “CIA Concludes Saudi Crown Prince Ordered Khashoggi’s Assassination” (Nov 16, 2018)
White House Statement on Saudi Arabia (Nov 20, 2018)
New York Times: “Audio Offers Gruesome Details of Khashoggi Killing” (Nov 12, 2018)
Reuters: “Saudi Developer to Sell Trump Hotel Tokens to U.S. Investors” (Nov 18, 2025)
New York Times: “Saudi Fund Invested $2 Billion with Jared Kushner” (Apr 10, 2022)
Guardian: “LIV Golf: Trump’s Saudi-Funded Tournaments Draw Scrutiny” (Jun 9, 2022)
TIME: “Trump Says MBS ‘Knew Nothing’ About Khashoggi Killing — CIA Determined Otherwise” (Nov 2025)
It is excellent you included links to your sources. Nowadays, that is so needed & important. Thank you for being the ethical person you are & for standing up for all of us.
Thank you Dr. Vindman for your honorable service, for coming forward yet again, and for sharing this damning information with us.🌟