President Donald Trump’s business ties and previous friendly comments about Saudi Arabia are being scrutinized in the wake of the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including by Trump’s favorite news network.
A Fox News research team fact-checked Trump’s denial of his special interests with the kingdom under international scrutiny for not explaining the disappearance of Khashoggi, who criticized the regime in a column for The Washington Post, according to Newsweek.
For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
About an hour after the president tweeted that he has “no financial interests in Saudi Arabia,” the conservative network’s research team tweeted a bulleted list showcasing links between Trump and Saudi business over the years.
Trump & Saudi Business:
•1991: Sold yacht to Saudi Prince
•2001: Sold 45th floor of Trump World Tower to Saudis
•Jun 2015: I love the Saudis…many in Trump Tower
•Aug 2015: “They buy apartments from me…Spend $40M-$50M”
•2017: Saudi lobbyists spent $270K at Trump DC hotel— Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) October 16, 2018
As Fox News pointed out, the president has had a long history with the kingdom and has publicly stated that he likes and loves Saudis, reports Newsweek.
As of Tuesday, Fox Business remains the only major western media outlet still scheduled to participate in the Future Investment Initiative, a high-end investment conference taking place next week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The New York Times, The Economist and the Los Angeles Times have all pulled out.
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