President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be dead and warned of "very severe" consequences if Saudi Arabia is proved to be responsible.

"It certainly looks that way to me. It's very sad," Trump told journalists when asked if he believed Khashoggi, who disappeared more than two weeks ago, is no longer alive.

Asked about the potential US response to Saudi Arabia, which is accused of murdering the Washington Post columnist, Trump said: "It will have to be very severe. It's bad, bad stuff.

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