President Trump said Tuesday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied being involved in the presumed murder of a Saudi Washington Post columnist last seen entering the kingdom's consulate in Turkey.

"Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate," Trump posted on Twitter in a pair of tweets. "He was with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the call, and told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly."


The Washington Post reported last week that Crown Prince Mohammed allegedly issued an order to have journalist Jamal Khashoggi lured from the U.S., where he is a resident, and detained in Saudi Arabia, his home country. The story was based on intercepts by U.S. intelligence.

Turkish officials claim Khashoggi, who was a critic of the Saudi royal court, was killed and dismembered within the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul following an appointment on Oct. 2 regarding his planned wedding.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Tuesday to meet with members of the royal family amid the scandal.

Pompeo's visit comes after reports Monday that the Saudi government is considering explaining Khashoggi's assumed death on a botched interrogation by rogue operatives.