Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) hammered Donald Trump for undermining respect for the presidency by covering for the Saudis after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Rep. Schiff said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:
The premeditated murder of U.S. resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was a brutal crime. While all the facts of any international matter, let alone a murder on foreign soil, can seldom be stated with absolute certainty, we can reach conclusions as to culpability. In my view, it is inconceivable that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was either unknowing or uninvolved in Khashoggi’s murder.
It is true that our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, not just its Crown Prince, and that must factor into our response. But to suggest ‘maybe he did and maybe he didn’t’ or that we are incapable of finding out the truth, or that knowing the truth our silence can be bought with arms sales, undermines respect for the Office of the Presidency, the credibility of our intelligence community and America’s standing as a champion of human rights.
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We should immediately end support to the Saudis in the war in Yemen and bring that conflict to an end, suspend arms sales to the Kingdom, and diminish our reliance on Riyadh regarding other matters in the region.
In what was a classic pre-Thanksgiving news dump, Trump released a statement giving his full support to the Saudi regime after they murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Congress has responded with outrage over Trump‘s statement, and more importantly, they are going to react with not only potential sanctions but a likely investigation of financial relationships with Saudi Arabia. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has called on Senate Democrats to withhold funding to Saudi Arabia.
Adam Schiff was right. Trump has undermined the presidency, and Congress looks ready to make him pay.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
