‘My Life Was Shattered’: Khashoggi’s Widow Reacts to Saudi Prince–Trump Meeting

The widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said it is “very painful” to watch Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visit the United States for the first time since her husband’s killing in 2018.

President Donald Trump hosted the crown prince at the White House on Tuesday, where the two discussed regional issues, Saudi Arabia’s possible entry into the Abraham Accords, major investments, and a proposed sale of F-35 fighter jets.

Speaking to CNN, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said the visit reopened old wounds. “It’s very painful for me,” she said, adding that Jamal Khashoggi had once hoped to engage directly with the crown prince. “He wished to be heard. He had good ideas for his country.”

She said she has written to Trump seeking help in reaching a financial settlement with the Saudi leadership. “The killing destroyed my life,” she said, urging US authorities to uphold human rights and democratic values alongside strategic interests. “There is still no real justice.”

Khashoggi, a US resident and outspoken critic of Riyadh, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. US intelligence later assessed that Prince Mohammed approved the operation — a claim Saudi Arabia denies. His remains were never found.

A Saudi court later sentenced five men to death and three to prison, though the death sentences were subsequently commuted.