Trump: It ‘Certainly Looks’ Like Khashoggi Is Dead
ACCEPTANCE
“Unless the miracle of all miracles happens, I would acknowledge that he’s dead,” he told the Times.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
In an interview with The New York Times Thursday, President Trump acknowledged that Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is likely dead. “This one has caught the imagination of the world, unfortunately,” he told the newspaper. “It’s not a positive. Not a positive.” “Unless the miracle of all miracles happens, I would acknowledge that he’s dead,” he added. “That’s based on everything—intelligence coming from every side.” Before leaving for a Montana rally Thursday afternoon, Trump also told reporters that it “certainly looks” like Khashoggi is dead. “It certainly looks that way to me. It’s very sad,” he said. Turkish intelligence allegedly indicates that Khashoggi was beheaded and dismembered after entering Istanbul’s Saudi Arabian consulate earlier this month. Saudi Arabia first denied having anything to do with Khashoggi’s disappearance, but officials are reportedly planning on releasing a report blaming his death on an “interrogation gone wrong.” Trump on Thursday added that the consequences for the Saudis “have to be very severe,” if they are deemed to be responsible for Khashoggi’s death. “It’s bad, bad stuff,” he said. “But we’ll see what happens.” Earlier this week, Trump said that the people behind Khashoggi’s alleged slaying could be “rogue killers.”
NEW: Pres. Trump says "it certainly looks" as though journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, adding consequences "will have to be very severe."
