MOHAMMED BONE-SAW SALMAN
Trump Threatens ABC’s Broadcast License Again After Reporter Questions Saudi Crown Prince About Khashoggi Murder
Trump also contradicted a US intelligence assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
President Donald Trump responds to a question where Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a meeting in the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Brad Reed
Nov 18, 2025
COMMON DREAMS
President Donald Trump angrily snapped at ABC News reporter Mary Bruce while taking questions alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the White House on Tuesday.
The testy exchange began when Bruce tried to ask the crown prince about a US intelligence assessment concluding that he was responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump Calls Saudi Prince ‘Respected Man’ as Serial Human Rights Abuser Ups US Investment to $1 Trillion
“Who are you with?” Trump demanded to know as Bruce attempted to ask her questions.
“I’m with ABC News, sir,” she replied.
“Fake news,” Trump said. “ABC, fake news, one of the worst in the business.”
Shortly after this, Trump described the slain Khashoggi as “somebody that was extremely controversial.”
“A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” Trump said, referring to Khashoggi. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen. But [the crown prince] knew nothing about it. You don’t have to embarrass our guest.”
In fact, a US intelligence report that was declassified in 2021 concluded that the crown prince personally approved of a plan carried out by Saudi forces to murder Khashoggi after he entered a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey in 2018.
Shortly after this, Bruce tried to ask the president a question about FBI files related to the late sex offender and longtime Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein, and he again hit her with personal insults.
“It’s not the question I mind, it’s your attitude,” he said. “You’re a terrible person and a terrible reporter.”
He then threatened to take ABC News completely off the air.
“I think the [broadcast] license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake, and it’s so wrong,” he said. “And we have a great commissioner... who should look at that.”
Trump’s mention of the “commissioner” was presumably a reference to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who earlier this year threatened to pull ABC‘s broadcast license unless it fired late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, a frequent critic of the president.
Kimmel’s show was suspended shortly after Carr made this statement, although he was reinstated days later amid public outcry about government censorship.
'Stunning moment': Analyst taken aback by Trump's comments on journalist's killing
Robert Davis
November 18, 2025
RAW STORY
U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
One analyst was stunned by President Donald Trump's comments about a slain journalist during a press conference on Monday with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
MBS was asked about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during the press conference. Trump jumped in to answer the question and said Khashoggi was a "controversial figure" and that "a lot of people didn't like him." Khashoggi was a prominent critic of the Crown Prince, and America's intelligence community concluded that MBS likely ordered Khashoggi's killing in 2018.
New York Times reporter Zolan Kanno-Youngs discussed Trump's comments on CNN's "The Arena" with Kaisie Hunt.
"He didn't just distance himself from the question when the question came up about U.S. intelligence finding that the Crown Prince likely directed the killing of Jamal Khashoggi," he said. "Often when there are tough questions in the Oval Office. I've seen a bunch of these meetings now, the president will almost refer to the foreign leader to answer the question and defer it. And this one, he didn't distance himself or defer. He leaned in and almost scoffed at the question."
On the same day that Khashoggi's widow is hoping that the White House could urge the Saudis to return the remains of Jamal Khashoggi, the president answers that question by essentially saying, 'Well, he was a controversial figure, and many people didn't like him,'" Kanno-Youngs continued. "Somebody who was doing his job as a journalist. It was stunning. It's a stunning moment."
Robert Davis
November 18, 2025
RAW STORY
U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
One analyst was stunned by President Donald Trump's comments about a slain journalist during a press conference on Monday with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
MBS was asked about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during the press conference. Trump jumped in to answer the question and said Khashoggi was a "controversial figure" and that "a lot of people didn't like him." Khashoggi was a prominent critic of the Crown Prince, and America's intelligence community concluded that MBS likely ordered Khashoggi's killing in 2018.
New York Times reporter Zolan Kanno-Youngs discussed Trump's comments on CNN's "The Arena" with Kaisie Hunt.
"He didn't just distance himself from the question when the question came up about U.S. intelligence finding that the Crown Prince likely directed the killing of Jamal Khashoggi," he said. "Often when there are tough questions in the Oval Office. I've seen a bunch of these meetings now, the president will almost refer to the foreign leader to answer the question and defer it. And this one, he didn't distance himself or defer. He leaned in and almost scoffed at the question."
On the same day that Khashoggi's widow is hoping that the White House could urge the Saudis to return the remains of Jamal Khashoggi, the president answers that question by essentially saying, 'Well, he was a controversial figure, and many people didn't like him,'" Kanno-Youngs continued. "Somebody who was doing his job as a journalist. It was stunning. It's a stunning moment."
'Things happened?' Trump's remarks on dismembered journalist leave Jake Tapper astounded
Robert Davis
November 18, 2025
Robert Davis
November 18, 2025
RAW STORY
CNN screenshot
CNN host Jake Tapper slammed President Donald Trump on Monday for his comments about a slain journalist while hosting a foreign leader whom American intelligence agencies concluded ordered the journalist's killing.
Trump hosted Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the White House on Monday. During a press conference, a reporter asked MBS about the murder of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Khashoggi was assassinated and his body was dismembered in October 2018 in Turkey by a Saudi hit squad that American intelligence agencies say conducted the operation with MBS's approval.
Trump jumped in to answer the question about Khashoggi's killing, saying the journalist was a "controversial figure" and that "things happened" to him.
Tapper responded to Trump's claims during Monday's broadcast of "The Lead."
"Things happened?!" Tapper said. "Here's the thing that happened, Mr. President. In October 2018, while you were president, Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was, according to U.S. intelligence, killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by men with close ties to the highest levels of the Saudi government."
Tapper also chided MBS's claim during the press conference that Saudi Arabia is "doing everything it can" to prevent a similar event from happening.
"Except something similar has happened," Tapper said. "Again, just five months ago, Saudi Arabia executed Turki al-Jasser, another journalist, this one known for exposing corruption. The Associated Press reports that this time Saudi Arabia publicly leveled charges of various terrorist crimes and accusations of destabilizing the security of society, though authorities did not detail or provide any evidence."
CNN screenshot
CNN host Jake Tapper slammed President Donald Trump on Monday for his comments about a slain journalist while hosting a foreign leader whom American intelligence agencies concluded ordered the journalist's killing.
Trump hosted Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the White House on Monday. During a press conference, a reporter asked MBS about the murder of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Khashoggi was assassinated and his body was dismembered in October 2018 in Turkey by a Saudi hit squad that American intelligence agencies say conducted the operation with MBS's approval.
Trump jumped in to answer the question about Khashoggi's killing, saying the journalist was a "controversial figure" and that "things happened" to him.
Tapper responded to Trump's claims during Monday's broadcast of "The Lead."
"Things happened?!" Tapper said. "Here's the thing that happened, Mr. President. In October 2018, while you were president, Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was, according to U.S. intelligence, killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by men with close ties to the highest levels of the Saudi government."
Tapper also chided MBS's claim during the press conference that Saudi Arabia is "doing everything it can" to prevent a similar event from happening.
"Except something similar has happened," Tapper said. "Again, just five months ago, Saudi Arabia executed Turki al-Jasser, another journalist, this one known for exposing corruption. The Associated Press reports that this time Saudi Arabia publicly leveled charges of various terrorist crimes and accusations of destabilizing the security of society, though authorities did not detail or provide any evidence."
Robert Davis
November 18, 2025
RAW STORY
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman laughs as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while shaking hands during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
The Washington Post's editorial board slammed President Donald Trump on Tuesday over comments he made about one of the outlet's assassinated journalists during a press conference in the Oval Office.
Trump hosted Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman on Tuesday, and the foreign leader faced tough questions about journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a press conference. Khashoggi was murdered by a hit squad with ties to the highest levels of Saudi Arabia's government, according to an assessment by the U.S. intelligence agencies. The agencies also concluded that it was likely MBS approved of the hit before it was carried out.
After a reporter asked MBS about Khashoggi's death, Trump jumped in to answer the question. He claimed that "things happened" to Khashoggi, who he described as a "controversial figure" and someone that "a lot of people didn't like."
The editorial board discussed Trump's comments in a new editorial on Tuesday.
"President Donald Trump’s performance at the White House Tuesday was something else entirely: weak, crass and of no strategic benefit to America," the editorial reads in part.
"The reality is that while Trump advocates peace through strength, he showed nothing but debility," it continued. "No doubt other dictators took note. Legitimizing and defending Mohammed this way will embolden him and his ilk to mistreat not just journalists but any Americans — knowing that they’ll probably face no real consequences."
Read the entire editorial by clicking here.
'Epic meltdown': Trump ripped for accusing ABC reporter of asking 'insubordinate' question
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News reporter Mary Bruce on Tuesday in the Oval Office when she asked him why he didn't just release the investigation files on accused trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
"It's not the question that I mind," Trump claimed. "It's your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter. It's the way you ask these questions. You start off with a man who's highly respected, asking him an insubordinate question."
The president's outburst promped a wave of criticism from various journalists and experts across social media.
Being insubordinate is typically a characterization that means someone is "disobedient to orders." It's a definition that inspired former Chicago Sun-Times editor Mark Jacob to comment, "The press doesn't work for you, a--hole. I'll bet you can't guess that ABC reporter was a woman. He hates tough questions from a woman. Because he's a sexist pig."
"I’m not going to say what the question was because I think it’s worth turning up the volume to hear for yourself," encouraged New York Times national correspondent Mike Baker.
Alaska Public Radio correspondent Liz Ruskin pointed out that Trump made the same comment about a reporter who asked the Saudi crown prince about the murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, as Trump also called that reporter "insubordinate."
"A lot of people don't like that gentleman that you're talking about," Trump said at the time.
Longtime CNBC and NBC News reporter Carl Quintanilla remarked, "Calling the ABC reporter’s question 'insubordinate' explains everything about how Trump sees press freedom."
"We fought a war to ensure we could ask insubordinate questions of our own leaders, to say nothing of foreign monarchs," said national security lawyer Bradley P. Moss on Bluesky.
Self-described MAGA hunter Ron Smith commented, "Trump has an epic meltdown when pressed by a reporter on Epstein."
University of Virginia Center for Politics director Larry Sabato also pointed out that later in his remarks Trump said "he wants the 'license taken from ABC.'"
"This is what panic looks like," political analyst Brian Allen wrote on X. "A president who can’t answer a basic question about Epstein without lashing out at reporters is a president who’s hiding something."
"Mr President, why wait for 'your' FCC to pull the license? Why not just take a cue from your guest and chop up all the ABC reporters?" asked "Kagro in the Morning" host David Walman.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
November 18, 2025
RAW STORY
President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News reporter Mary Bruce on Tuesday in the Oval Office when she asked him why he didn't just release the investigation files on accused trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
"It's not the question that I mind," Trump claimed. "It's your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter. It's the way you ask these questions. You start off with a man who's highly respected, asking him an insubordinate question."
The president's outburst promped a wave of criticism from various journalists and experts across social media.
Being insubordinate is typically a characterization that means someone is "disobedient to orders." It's a definition that inspired former Chicago Sun-Times editor Mark Jacob to comment, "The press doesn't work for you, a--hole. I'll bet you can't guess that ABC reporter was a woman. He hates tough questions from a woman. Because he's a sexist pig."
"I’m not going to say what the question was because I think it’s worth turning up the volume to hear for yourself," encouraged New York Times national correspondent Mike Baker.
Alaska Public Radio correspondent Liz Ruskin pointed out that Trump made the same comment about a reporter who asked the Saudi crown prince about the murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, as Trump also called that reporter "insubordinate."
"A lot of people don't like that gentleman that you're talking about," Trump said at the time.
Longtime CNBC and NBC News reporter Carl Quintanilla remarked, "Calling the ABC reporter’s question 'insubordinate' explains everything about how Trump sees press freedom."
"We fought a war to ensure we could ask insubordinate questions of our own leaders, to say nothing of foreign monarchs," said national security lawyer Bradley P. Moss on Bluesky.
Self-described MAGA hunter Ron Smith commented, "Trump has an epic meltdown when pressed by a reporter on Epstein."
University of Virginia Center for Politics director Larry Sabato also pointed out that later in his remarks Trump said "he wants the 'license taken from ABC.'"
"This is what panic looks like," political analyst Brian Allen wrote on X. "A president who can’t answer a basic question about Epstein without lashing out at reporters is a president who’s hiding something."
"Mr President, why wait for 'your' FCC to pull the license? Why not just take a cue from your guest and chop up all the ABC reporters?" asked "Kagro in the Morning" host David Walman.
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