Liberal author suggests Trump 'deserves' same gruesome fate as Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Liberal author Fran Lebowitz ignited controversy Friday when she suggested that President Donald Trump deserves to suffer the same gruesome fate as journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

What did Lebowitz say?

During a conversation about the president on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," Lebowitz said Trump deserves a fate much worse than impeachment.

"Certainly, he deserves to be impeached. I mean, impeachment is just the beginning of what he deserves. Not even scratching the surface of what he deserves," Lebowitz said.

"Whenever I think about this and what he really deserves, I think, 'We should turn him over to the Saudis, you know, his buddies. The same Saudis who got rid of that reporter, you know. Maybe they can do the same for him," she continued.

Lebowitz's sinister suggestion received cheers and applause from the live studio audience.

Later in the program, Lebowitz attempted to walk back her suggestion after producers informed her that she was receiving "blowback" on social media. However, she did not apologize.

"I saw your face when I said it," Lebowitz told Maher. "I didn't even realize that I said it. I had twelve cups of coffee. I regret saying it."

"I did not mean that and I regret saying it. I regret that everyone misinterpreted it," she went on to say.

Who is Jamal Khashoggi?

Khashoggi, whose disappearance and death generated intentional headlines last year, was killed by Saudi officials inside their Istanbul consulate last October. Turkish intelligence suggests Khashoggi was strangled before being dismembered and quietly removed from the Saudi consular building.

It is believed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was ultimately behind the plot to murder Khashoggi.