President Trump said Monday he is “not satisfied” with what he has heard regarding the disappearance and death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
“We’re going to find out a lot. We’re going to know a lot over the next two days about the Saudi situation,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House for Texas. “It’s a very sad thing.”
Trump said he has spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and said the U.S. has “people” in Turkey and Saudi Arabia looking into Khashoggi’s death.
U.S. officials are returning to the U.S. either later Monday or Tuesday, the president said, and he expects to be briefed on their findings.
Khashoggi was last seen walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
[More: After Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, a Saudi agent left the consulate wearing his clothes]
Early Saturday, Saudi officials acknowledged for the first time since the journalist’s disappearance that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement then that Khashoggi’s death was the result of a fatal fistfight that occurred after he was in “discussions” with others inside the diplomatic facility.
The Saudi government said it arrested 18 Saudis and fired five officials as a result of its investigation into Khashoggi’s death.
Turkish officials said Khashoggi was killed inside the facility and have said audio and video recordings in the Turkish government’s possession indicate he was beaten and dismembered by Saudi agents.
The Saudi government has denied involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance and death.