The killing of a journalist has abruptly transformed Saudi Arabia's crown prince from a partner to a liability in the eyes of Washington -- which nonetheless now enjoys more leverage over the ambitious heir apparent.
President Donald Trump had enthusiastically endorsed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's consolidation of power, with the 33-year-old forging a close, chatty relationship with Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner.
But amid outrage after Saudi Arabia admitted that US-based journalist and palace critic Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate, the president has sounded betrayed and taken the initial step of restricting visas to Saudis involved in the killing.
Trump, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Wednesday, insulated 82-year-old King Salman from blame but pointedly did not shield the crown prince, known by his initials MBS.
"The crown prince -- he's running things, and so if anybody were going to be in, it would be him," Trump said.
While defending arms sales to Saudi Arabia on business grounds, Trump said: "Don't forget, if it wasn't for us, it could very well be that Saudi Arabia wouldn't last very long."
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