'There is no justification to murder my husband,' Khashoggi's widow says after Trump remarks
Elatr Khashoggi said “there is no justification to murder my husband,” describing him as “a good transparent and brave man,” while acknowledging that “many people may not have agreed with his opinions and desire for freedom of the press.”
Jamal Khashoggi's widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, issued a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump after he sought to undermine the reputation of her late husband, a Washington Post opinions journalist killed in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Elatr Khashoggi said "there is no justification to murder my husband," describing him as "a good transparent and brave man," while acknowledging that "many people may not have agreed with his opinions and desire for freedom of the press." She said the Crown Prince should take responsibility, adding: "The Crown Prince said he was sorry so he should meet me, apologize and compensate me for the murder of my husband," Hanan Elatr Khashoggi wrote in a statement on the social platform X
She and Khashoggi had married in Virginia months before his death. She said she has requested US support for her calls for compensation and for the return of her husband's body, says The Hill.
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Trump, speaking to reporters during the Crown Prince's visit to Washington, defended the Saudi leader, saying he "knew nothing about that." He also questioned Khashoggi's standing, saying "a lot of people didn't like that gentleman."
The former president also clashed with journalists during the visit.
When ABC News White House correspondent Mary Bruce asked the Crown Prince about the US intelligence conclusion that he had orchestrated Khashoggi's killing and noted that 9/11 families were angered by his presence in the Oval Office, Trump interjected: "You don't have to embarrass our guests by asking a question." He later asked Bruce, "Who are you with?" to which she responded, "ABC." Trump then replied, "Fake news," and added, "ABC fake news, one of the worst in the business."
The 9/11 Families United group also criticized the Crown Prince's visit. Terry Strada, the group's national chair, said "the crown prince knows nothing of the pain of the 9/11 families." She added: "He is actively working to impede our efforts to ensure extensive evidence of Saudi government support for al-Qaeda and the terrorist hijackers are brought to light, harboring a former agent that produced a casing video of the US Capitol building, and trying to rewrite history with investments."
"We aren't buying it, our allies in Congress aren't buying it, and neither are the American people," Strada said.
