There’s another transcript in Washington waiting to come to light.Rep. Eugene Vindman,a Virginia Democrat,is alleging there was a “shocking” 2019 call between president Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia following the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi that the public needs to hear. Vindman knows about it as he was working at the time as a lawyer on the White House’s National Security Council, which produced a classified summary of the conversation.
“For me, the call was shocking, and I think the American people deserve to hear the contents of that call,” Vindman tells TIME.Vindman first spoke publicly about the phone call on the House floor on Tuesday, but his comments were largely swamped in the news by the landslide House vote demanding Trump release the Jeffrey Epstein case files. In his speech, Vindman called on Trump to also release the transcript of his call with MBS, as the Crown Prince is known. “If history is any guide, the receipts will be shocking,” Vindman said.
Those remarks were the opening salvo of a pressure campaign Vindman plans to unfold in the next weeks and months to demand Trump reveal to the public what he told MBS in private. That campaign will include Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, joining Vindman for a press conference at the Capitol tommorow. Vindman tells TIME he has also spoken to the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, about writing a bill to require Trump release the transcript.
Vindman’s unusual decision to speak about the sensitive work he was involved with on the National Security Council
Trump Defended MBS over Khashoggi Killing, While Vindman Pushes for Transparency on Saudi Ties
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Former President donald Trump publicly defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) regarding the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, stating MBS “knew nothing about it” during a public appearance alongside the crown Prince. This stance, echoed in past statements, contrasts sharply with criticism from figures like Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council official, who calls Trump’s response “outrageous.” Vindman is now advocating for increased transparency regarding U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia, building on recent bipartisan efforts to declassify information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Trump’s Defense of MBS and Khashoggi’s Murder
During a recent public appearance with MBS, Trump intervened to shield the Crown prince from questions about Khashoggi’s death. “Whether you like him or don’t like him, things happen, but he knew nothing about it,” Trump said, adding, “We can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-defends-saudi-crown-prince-mbs-khashoggi-murder-rcna88998
This sentiment aligns with comments Trump made in 2019 to Bob Woodward for his book Rage, where he claimed to have “saved” MBS’s “ass” after the Khashoggi murder became public and asserted he successfully pressured Congress to ease scrutiny of the Crown Prince. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/09/08/trump-woodward-tape-khashoggi/
Vindman’s Criticism and Call for Transparency
Alexander Vindman, who served as the Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council during the Trump governance, strongly condemned Trump’s “things happen” remark. “A brutal murder like this does not just happen-of a U.S.resident,” Vindman stated, emphasizing the gravity of the crime. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-defends-saudi-crown-prince-mbs-khashoggi-murder-rcna88998
khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist, was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that MBS approved the operation to kill or capture Khashoggi,though Saudi Arabia denies the Crown Prince’s involvement. https://www.cia.gov/news-information/blog/2021/03/01/assessment-on-the-killing-of-jamal-khashoggi/
vindman’s push for greater transparency builds on the recent success of lawmakers in compelling the Justice Department to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump signed a bill into law requiring the release of these documents on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. https://time.com/7335230/trump-signs-epstein-files-bill/ Vindman believes the current political climate may be opportune for a similar bipartisan effort to increase transparency regarding U.S.-Saudi relations. he noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared to be “starting to lose a little bit of control of the floor,” suggesting a potential opening for such a push. https://time.com/7334902/epstein-files-released-house-vote/
Implications and Future Outlook
The differing views on the Khashoggi murder highlight the complex relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, a key strategic partner in the Middle East. While the U.S.has expressed concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights
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