Almost two months ago, the world was rocked by the sudden disappearance of dissident Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi after he entered the Saudi consulate\u2026<\/b>
\nAlmost two months ago, the world was rocked by the sudden disappearance of dissident Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. In the weeks that followed, the Saudi Arabian government changed their stance on the disappearance multiple times, first feigning innocence, then calling it a \u201crogue assassination,\u201d and then confessing to the murder but calling it an accident.
After turning a blind eye to Trump\u2019s trade war with everyone from Canada to Mexico to Germany, his highly public social media fights with age-old U. S. allies and embracing the world\u2019s most infamous dictators, lawmakers have finally reached a point where they are willing to intervene in Trump\u2019s foreign policy.
The murder of Khashoggi has infuriated both Democrats and Republicans alike, with politicians across the U. S. condemning the brutal killing. With the House flipped in favor of the Democrats come January, it seems that the president may be in the hot seat \u201cas early as next week.\u201d
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has already requested a classified briefing from top officials within the White House on the murder and the support the U. S. continues to offer Saudi Arabia as they wage their war in Yemen. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis are on the list of people Corker has requested an audience with.
Reporter: Who should be held accountable for [Jamal Khashoggi’s murder]?
Trump: Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a vicious place. The world is a very vicious place. (via CBS) pic.twitter.com\/M7rv9f6YCk
\u2014 Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 22,2018
That conversation is expected to put the two in the spotlight, with lawmakers preparing to ask questions about the CIA\u2019s reported discovery of a recording of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordering the murder of the journalist on October 2. While it was widely speculated even before the alleged discovery that the de facto Saudi leader was responsible, Trump\u2019s response was to instead question the integrity of the CIA and their findings. According to Trump, the fact that the prince has denied any involvement makes him innocent.
The president further stated that Salman \u201cregrets the death more than [Trump] does,\u201d and argued there was \u201cno conclusive evidence\u201d to point the finger at him.
\u201cThe CIA doesn\u2019t say they did it. They do point out certain things, and in pointing out those things, you can conclude that maybe he did or maybe he didn\u2019t,\u201d Trump said from Mar-A-Lago.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, has stated that the House has every intention of delving deeply into the available information on Khashoggi\u2019s killing.
\u201cCertainly we will be delving further into the murder of Khashoggi, and I want to make sure that the committee is fully debriefed on it,\u201d Schiff said. \u201cWe will certainly want to examine what the intelligence community knows about the murder.\u201d
And Rep. Eliot Engel, D-New York, added that Trump\u2019s reaction to the murder of a journalist is unacceptable.
\u201cWhen the United States is leading on the global stage, we can apply the sort of pressure that advances our values. Instead, the president is acting as though the United States is dependent on Saudi Arabia and not the other way around.\u201d<\/p>\n