Trump may have lost his risky bet on Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman

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WASHINGTON — On Friday the Saudi government finally admitted that writer Jamal Khashoggi had died inside its Istanbul consulate, saying he had been killed in a fight.

Asked to respond to the Saudi statement, President Donald Trump called it an “important first step,” then began talking about the size of planned U.S. arms deal with the kingdom, cautioned against retribution against Riyadh and said, “I’m going to speak to the crown prince.”

From the outset of his presidency, Trump has offered a warm embrace to Saudi Arabia and its ambitious royal heir, Mohammed bin Salman, believing he could help the U.S. confront Iran in the Middle East.

But the gamble appears to have backfired badly, say experts and former officials, with the young prince now implicated in the killing of Khashoggi, who dared to criticize the regime.