Khashoggi killing: Why Trump is a reluctant Saudi critic despite pressure

But as the days dragged on and evidence of Khashoggi's death mounted, Trump's view began to shift

Six days after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, US President Donald Trump tried to play down the crisis, saying "hopefully that will sort itself out".

It did not, and on Oct. 10, amid a growing outcry, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton pressed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, in what one US official described as a "stern" phone call, to identify who was responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance or death.
 

Trump then seemed to give Saudi Arabia the benefit of the doubt, suggesting "rogue killers" may have been to blame and criticizing a growing view that this