AMNA NAWAZ: Now to our other lead story.

President Trump welcomed the de facto leader# of Saudi Arabia to the White House today and## dismissed the U.S.

intelligence community's# finding that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman## approved the plan to kill Washington Post# columnist Jamal Khashoggi back in 2018.

The Saudi leader and President# Trump also discussed a range## of agreements they plan to unveil,# from Saudi plans to invest billions## of dollars in the United States# to a joint security agreement.

White House correspondent Liz Landers reports.

(MUSIC) LIZ LANDERS: Today, the White House pulled out all## the stops for the Saudi crown prince, a cavalcade# on horseback, aircraft fly.. President Trump, who literally rolled out the# red carpet to welcome Mohammed bin Salman.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:# We have an extremely respected man in the Oval## Office today and a friend of mine for a# long time, a very good friend of mine.

LIZ LANDERS: Trump heaping praise on the# young de facto leader from Saudi Arabia.

DONALD TRUMP: We have always been# on the same side of every issue.

LIZ LANDERS: Highlighting the# close personal relationship## the two men have cultivated# during Trump's second term.

MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN, Saudi Arabian Crown# Prince: The agreement that we are signing## today in many areas, in technology,# A.I., in rare earth materials, magnet,## et cetera, that will create a# lot of investment opportunities.

DONALD TRUMP: So you are doing that now.

You're## saying to me now that the $600# billion will be $1 trillion?

MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN: Definitely, because what# we are signing will facilitate that.

And... DONALD TRUMP: I like that very much.

LIZ LANDERS: It's the first time the crown# prince has been invited to the White House## in more than seven years and the first visit# since the killing of Washington Post journalist## Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Both leaders were# asked about his murder in the Oval Office.

DONALD TRUMP: You're mentioning somebody that# was extremely controversial.

A lot of people## didn't like that gentleman that you're talking# about.

Whether you like him or didn't like him,## things happen.

But he knew nothing# about it, and we can leave it at that.

LIZ LANDERS: But the U.S.

intelligence community# later concluded that Mohammed bin Salman approved## the operation that resulted in Khashoggi's murder# in a Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

The crown prince saying today: MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN: About the journalist, it's# really painful to hear anyone that been lo.. his life for no real purpose or no -- not in# a legal way.

And it's been painful for us in## Saudi Arabia.

We did all the right steps of# investigation, et cetera, in Saudi Arabia.

And we've improved our system to be sure that# nothing happen like that.

And it's painful## and it's a huge mistake.

And we're doing# our best that this doesn't happen again.

LIZ LANDERS: The two men making# several policy announcements,## including a long-sought military advantage for# the Saudis, the advanced F-35 fighter jets that## the president agreed to sell to the kingdom and# showed off the planes during the arrival ceremony.

In addition, the Saudi crown prince# described a short-term investment of## $50 billion in U.S.-manufactured# semiconductor chips to keep up with the## country's -- quote -- "huge demand" for computing# power and billions more promised long term.

And President Trump indicating that a civil# nuclear deal could happen in the future,## saying it wasn't urgent and remarking that Saudi# Arabia has large oil and gas reserves for energy.

But Muhammad bin Salman made it clear he# would not yet sign on to the Abraham Accords,## the regional peace deal Trump brokered# during his first administration,## normalizing relations between# Israel and several Arab states.

MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN: We want to# be part of the Abraham Accord,## but we want also to be sure that we secure# a clear path of two-state solution.

We want## peace for the Israelis.

We want peace# for the Palestinians.

We want them to## coexist peacefully in the region, and# we will do our best to reach that day.

LIZ LANDERS: The Saudi crown prince# also indicating that Saudi Arabia## will financially contribute to# the rebuilding process in Gaza,## though declining to put an exact# number figure on what that will be.

AMNA NAWAZ: And Liz Landers joins# us now from the White House,## where President Trump and Mohammed bin Salman# are having a formal black-tie dinner tonight,## and it sounds like the rain is beginning to fall.

But, Liz, we should note this was the# first time that MBS, as he's known,## was on U.S.

soil since that murder of# Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

We heard the## president there defend the crown prince,# say things happen, say he doesn't hold him## responsible for the killing.

What does all of# this say about the president's priorities here?

LIZ LANDERS: Amna, this was certainly# the most surprising moment in that Oval## Office meeting earlier today, and# the president even admonishing the## reporter who asked the question# of both him and the crown prince.

The president's comments directly contradict what# the U.S.

intelligence community has concluded,## that bin Salman did approve the killing# of Khashoggi back in 2018 and that the## prince also viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the## kingdom and supported using violent# measures if necessary to silence him.

Now, this comes as the kingdom is trying# to position itself towards the future,## towards modernization.

Bin Salman has# been a big part of that policy shift,## but this moment, I think, underlines some of the# human rights problems that still dog the nation.

And the president coming to the defense of# the crown prince there in the Oval Office## earlier today I think underlines# how he views their relationship,## how he values their relationship.

This whole# meeting today, the whole visit has shown that,## the pomp and circumstance that is usually# reserved for America's closest allies.

And, as you mentioned, Amna, we# have this black-tie dinner that's## going to be happening shortly here at the# White House and the events even continue## even tomorrow with a large event that is# expected at the Kennedy Center as well.

AMNA NAWAZ: Liz, let me ask you about# your reporting on the U.S.

intention to## sell those F-35 fighter jets to the Saudis.# We're talking about the U.S.'

most advanced## and sophisticated jets.

We have heard# some security concerns from analysts## about giving these to the Saudis.# What more can you tell us about that?

LIZ LANDERS: Well, this has been the big question# in the lead-up to this meeting today is whether or## not the United States was going to sell those# F-35s, and the president saying yesterday,## making the news that he would sell these# very sophisticated stealth fighter jets## that are used in the most secretive missions# that the United States military carries out.

And that is what worries experts like Fred Wehrey## of the Carnegie Endowment for# International Peace.

Listen.

FREDERIC WEHREY, Carnegie Endowment# for International Peace: This system## is -- has so many incredible capabilities# in.. its stealth, its countermeasures, and# those are, quite frankly, closely guarded## secrets for the United States.

And the concern# is whether or not the Saudis will be able to## safeguard that technology and prevent# it from falling into the Chinese hands.

LIZ LANDERS: Wehrey saying that# he's concerned that China could## borrow this technology, steal# it and reverse-engineer it,## and then potentially use it against the# United States in future military conflicts.

And one more thing too, Amna, to add# to the overall picture of the region,## of the Middle East region too.

There# is also concern that Saudi Arabia## having these F-35s will erode Israel's# advantage that it has in the region.

AMNA NAWAZ: Liz, we also heard the# president was asked about his family's## business dealings in Saudi.

There are# at least four Trump-branded real estate## developments planned in the kingdom.# Tell us about his response to that.

LIZ LANDERS: Yes, the president said that he has## nothing to do with the family business.# He said he has left and he has handed## over the daily management of the Trump# Organization to his sons Eric and Don Jr.

But the Trump Organization has expanded greatly# in the Middle East, and especially in Saudi Arabia## in just the last few years, so the president# distancing himself from this.

But ethics experts## still have concerns about the Trump family's# business dealings in the Middle East -- Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: Liz Landers reporting live# for us from the White House tonight.

Liz, thank you.