"Because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Trump said. "I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Credit:AP The President had already been shown evidence of the prince's alleged involvement in the killing, and privately he remains sceptical, Trump aides said. He has also looked for ways to avoid pinning the blame on Mohammed, the aides said. Trump spoke with Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his flight to California to tour areas damaged by the wildfires, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One. While touring fire damage Malibu, California, Trump confirmed that he had spoken with Haspel. Asked about reports that the CIA had assessed involvement by Mohammed, the president said: "They haven't assessed anything yet. It's too early."

"It's a horrible thing that took place, the killing of a journalist," he said, adding that there would be a "a report on Tuesday" that will address what "we think the overall impact was and who caused it, and who did it." The CIA concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Credit:AP State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert issued a statement on Saturday that did not directly address the CIA's findings about Mohammed or mention him. "Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate," she said. "There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi. The State Department will continue to seek all relevant facts. In the meantime, we will continue to consult Congress, and work with other nations to hold accountable those involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi." The President's scepticism has put him at odds with the findings of the CIA and senior intelligence officials.

Haspel and John Bolton, the national security adviser, have briefed Trump on the intelligence community's findings, with Haspel offering pieces of evidence that show lieutenants of Mohammed were directly involved in the killing, according to people familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump answers questions as he leaves the White House on Saturday to see fire damage in California. Credit:AP In conversations with his intelligence and national security advisers, the President has seized on the question of whether evidence shows that Mohammed "ordered" Khashoggi's death, asserting that his advisers haven't offered him definitive proof. He has also asked CIA and State Department officials where Khashoggi's body is and has grown frustrated that the journalist's remains haven't been found. Referring to the crown prince, Trump told reporters Saturday, "As of this moment, we were told that he did not play a role; we're going to have to find out what they say." The President didn't specify who had said Mohammed had played no role.

The CIA did not respond to a request for comment. But within the White House, there has been little doubt that Mohammed was behind the killing. "This is a situation where everyone basically knows what happened," said one adviser who talks to Trump often. This person said Trump has repeatedly criticised how Mohammed has handled the situation and has said it is clear they are hiding facts. Jamal Khashoggi has not been seen since he entered the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Credit:AP A top White House official responsible for US policy toward Saudi Arabia resigned Friday evening, a move that may suggest fractures inside the Trump administration over the response to the killing.

Loading The official, Kirsten Fontenrose, had pushed for tough measures against the Saudi government and had been in Riyadh to discuss a raft of sanctions the US government imposed in recent days against those identified as responsible for the killing, according to two people familiar with the conversations. Specifically, she advocated that Saud al-Qahtani, a top adviser to Mohammed, be added to the list, and he ultimately was. The Saudis have offered contradictory explanations for what happened to Khashoggi after he stepped inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage. "The claims in this purported assessment are false," Fatimah Baeshen, a spokeswoman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, said of the CIA findings. "We have and continue to hear various theories without seeing the primary basis for these speculations." For more than a month, Trump has struggled to balance his interest in maintaining strong relations with the Saudi government with growing pressure in Congress and around the world to punish the Saudi regime.