Donald Trump Defends MBS Regarding Killing of WaPo Columnist Jamal Khashoggi

Donald Trump gave an ice-cold response when asked about the slaughter of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi Tuesday, sweeping it under the rug while seeming to imply that he just wasn't very popular.

As you know ... Khashoggi was famously murdered in a Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018 by men who reportedly strangled him and sliced him up with a bone saw while he was still gasping for air. The CIA determined Saudi leader Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the one who ordered the grisly slaying.

During his Tuesday visit to the White House -- MBS was asked the inevitable question by a reporter about why Americans should trust him given that he's widely considered to be the mastermind of Khashoggi's horrific murder.

Trump didn't like that very much so he responded in classic Trump fashion ..."You're mentioning someone 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. You don't have to embarrass our guest."

Basically, pissing on his grave.

Meanwhile, POTUS rolled out the red carpet for the Saudi crown prince, treating him to a flyover of 6 fighter jets and a procession of black horses. The prez then escorted him into the WH where they had lunch.

Ahead of their meeting, Trump announced plans to sell F-35s -- some of the world's most advanced aircraft -- to Saudi Arabia.

MBS is expected to return to the WH later Tuesday for dinner with a bunch of tech CEOs.