Saudi Arabia is weighing whether to say that rogue operatives killed a Saudi dissident journalist, people familiar with the matter said, a position that would help the royal family exonerate itself from direct responsibility for a matter that has roiled its relations with the U.S.

The kingdom’s tentative explanation echoes comments President Trump made Monday, after speaking to Saudi King Salman, that “rogue killers” may have been behind the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a former royal insider.