11/30/2018

G20/MEDIA/SAUDI ARABIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TURKEY: “President Donald Trump spoke briefly with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday [11-30-18] on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, a move that could further inflame tensions both in the United States and abroad. The exchange between the two leaders was not scheduled, and comes after U.S. and Turkish intelligence have both reportedly concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A White House official downplayed the interaction, saying, ‘They exchanged pleasantries at the leaders session as he did with nearly every leader in attendance.’ And Trump insisted there was no substantive meeting, telling reporters, ‘We had no discussion. We had no discussion. We might. But we had none.’ Trump has said that he is unsure whether the crown prince was involved in ordering Khashoggi’s murder, and that he stands by the United States’ partnership with the Saudis. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, however, have called on the president to heavily sanction Saudi Arabia.”

Andrew Restuccia and Rebecca Morin, “Trump briefly speaks with Saudi crown prince at G-20 summit,” Politico, November 30, 2018 1:01 pm