After Trump made his announcement yesterday that he would give the Saudis a pass over the brutal murder of Khashoggi, casting doubt on whether the Crown Prince may have even ordered it, both Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham came out on Twitter against the decision:
The President indicates that Saudi Arabia is the lesser two evils compared to Iran and so the US won’t punish Saudi Arabia for the brutal killing and dismemberment of a dissident journalist in their consulate. I disagree.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 20, 2018
We should, at the very least, NOT reward Saudi Arabia with our sophisticated armaments that they in turn use to bomb civilians.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 20, 2018
I’m pretty sure this statement is Saudi Arabia First, not America First. I’m also pretty sure John Bolton wrote it.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 20, 2018
I will continue to press for legislation to stop the Saudi arms sales and the war in Yemen.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 20, 2018
The “Saudi Arabia First” line is sure to get under Trump’s skin. The last thing he wants to do is be accused of not putting America first. But notice that Rand Paul blames John Bolton instead of Trump for the statement. Is he saying Trump is a puppet of Bolton?
That said, I don’t disagree with Rand in regard to not rewarding them with ‘sophisticated armaments’.
Lindsey Graham also had some tough words for Trump:
One thing I learned during the Obama years is that when you look the other way regarding problems in the Middle East, it seldom works out.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 20, 2018
Time and time again President Obama chose to look the other way as Iran took increasingly provocative actions.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 20, 2018
Each time it led to even worse Iranian behavior and created even larger problems for the future.
Likewise, it is not in our national security interests to look the other way when it comes to the brutal murder of Mr. Jamal #Khashoggi.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 20, 2018
I firmly believe there will be strong bipartisan support for serious sanctions against Saudi Arabia, including appropriate members of the royal family, for this barbaric act which defied all civilized norms.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 20, 2018
While Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the behavior of the Crown Prince – in multiple ways – has shown disrespect for the relationship and made him, in my view, beyond toxic.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 20, 2018
I fully realize we have to deal with bad actors and imperfect situations on the international stage.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 20, 2018
However, when we lose our moral voice, we lose our strongest asset.
Graham has become a favorite of Trump supporters, so going against Trump on this probably won’t earn him any points.
Meanwhile, Trump is thanking Saudi Arabia for good oil prices this morning…
Oil prices getting lower. Great! Like a big Tax Cut for America and the World. Enjoy! $54, was just $82. Thank you to Saudi Arabia, but let’s go lower!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018