US President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied that his cautious approach to Saudi Arabia over allegations that Saudi agents killed and dismembered a journalist amounts to covering for the US ally.
"No not at all, I just want to find out what's happening," Trump told journalists in the White House. "I'm not giving cover at all."
TRUMP SAYS EXPECTS TRUTH OVER MISSING JOURNALIST BY 'END OF WEEK'
Trump said Wednesday that he expects to know within days what happened to Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who is alleged to have been murdered by Saudi agents.
"We will probably know that by the end of the week," Trump said at the White House. The president said he would be getting a "full report" from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on his return from meetings with Saudi leaders.
TRUMP ASKS FOR JOURNALIST VIDEO 'IF IT EXISTS'
Trump says the U.S. is asking Turkey for audio and video relating to missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "if it exists."
The president on Wednesday called Saudi Arabia an important ally, noting it is an important customer for U.S. military exports.
Turkish officials have said Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudis' Istanbul consulate, which Saudi officials have denied.
U.S. officials say they are taking Khashoggi's disappearance seriously, but Trump says he has not sent the FBI, stressing that he was not "American citizen."
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Trump warned against a rush to judgment, comparing condemnation of Saudi Arabia to the allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"US NEEDS SAUDI ARABIA IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM"
Trump said Wednesday he did not want to walk away from Saudi Arabia over the disappearance and alleged killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, arguing the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism.
Asked during an interview on Fox Business what punitive steps he had in mind if he learned Saudi Arabia was responsible, Trump said: "Well, I hope we're going to be on the better side of the equation.
"You know we need Saudi Arabia in terms of our fight against all of the terrorism, everything that's happening in Iran and other places."
The US and Saudi Arabia have long been allies, with both opposed to Riyadh's regional nemesis Iran since the country's 1979 revolution.
Asked if the US would be willing to walk away from Saudi Arabia, Trump said: "I do not want to do that and frankly they have a tremendous order, $110 billion," referring to a promised US arms sales to the kingdom.
"It is 500,000 jobs, it will be ultimately $110 billion, it's the biggest order in the history of our country from an outside military, and I said we are gonna turn that down?" he added.
"So hopefully it is working out. We'll find out, we'll get down to the bottom of it. I hope that the king and the crown prince didn't know about it."
"That is a big factor in my eyes, and I hope they haven't."
Trump sent his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Riyadh this week for talks with the Saudi leadership marked by expressions of mutual goodwill.
The US chief diplomat pointedly refused to blame the kingdom and declared he did not want "to talk about any of the facts."
Khashoggi, a former regime insider who became critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been seen since he stepped inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to sort out marriage paperwork.
The controversy has blown a massive hole in attempts by Prince Mohammed to promote himself as a modern reformer and led to a spate of cancellations from a major Riyadh investment conference scheduled next week.
