Donald Trump defended Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of a journalist and hailed a $1 trillion investment pledge Tuesday as the US president laid on a lavish welcome at the White House.

Trump moved to consolidate his growing bromance with the de facto Saudi leader, giving him a parade of soldiers on horseback and a military flypast featuring F-35 jets that he said Washington would soon sell to Riyadh.

Opening their White House meeting with praise for the prince's "incredible" human rights record, Trump dismissed the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, saying "things happened" and calling the dead journalist "extremely controversial."

Trump also raged at a reporter, accusing her of "embarrassing" Prince Mohammed with her questions over the murder -- which US

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