Ned Price on ‘Rogue Killers’ Comment: Trump ‘Was Floating a Trial Balloon on Behalf of the Saudis’

EXCERPT:

PRICE: "No, there certainly are not. Especially rogue elements that have what seemed to be personal connections to the Saudi Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman. The New York Times did an expose where over the course of years they’ve linked four or five of the individuals believed to be responsible for what appears to be this brutal torture and killing of Jamal Khashoggi to Muhammad bin Salman directly. To bodyguards, to members of the Kingdom's medical team, to personal assistants. And the fact this happened inside the consulate in Turkey, a well-guarded Saudi diplomatic facility in Istanbul, Turkey, speaks to the implausiblity of this and it’s almost like, Nicolle, that the President was floating a trial balloon on behalf of the Saudis. He was doing the Saudi government’s bidding. And it was strange. Earlier this week it certainly seemed like the Saudis were going to soon come up with this explanation that, yes, this was the work of rogue killers. Muhammad bin Salman had no foreknowledge of this, nor did any other senior member of the Saudi Royal Court. But that hasn’t materialized and it could well be the Saudis saw that Trump’s theory that he floated, this rogue killers theory, was quickly shot down. That no one believed it. That it wouldn't be plausible, even within a Washington that is, by and large, beholden to Saudi and Gulf money more broadly. So it’s unclear where the Saudis are going to go with this. I think the one thing we know is that Donald Trump is going to help them clear a path."