President Trump says he's 'not satisfied' with Saudi response on journalist's death

John Fritze | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Saudi FM calls Khashoggi death 'unacceptable' Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi earlier this month at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul "unacceptable." (Oct. 21)

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Monday that he is "not satisfied" with the response from Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

As he departed the White House for a campaign rally in Texas, the president said he had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about Khashoggi's disappearance after he entered Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Turkey this month.

"I am not satisfied with what I’ve heard," Trump said. "We're going to get to the bottom of it."

The president specifically reacted to Saudi requests to extend the Khashoggi investigation for another month. That would mean most of the investigation's findings would be released well after the November midterm election.

More: Jamal Khashoggi: Jared Kushner won’t say if he believes Saudi account

“I think it’s a long time,” Trump told reporters. “There’s no reason for that.”

Critics have questioned whether such an operation could have been carried out without Salman's knowledge. Others have questioned Trump’s hesitation to punish Saudi Arabia, a close ally in the Mideast.

Saudi Arabia’s government admitted late Friday that Khashoggi died inside the consulate, asserting that he was involved in a “brawl” that led to his accidental death. Turkish officials say he was killed and dismembered.