Rep. Connolly: Trump and Pompeo ‘Are Providing Cover’ for MBS and the Saudis for the Killing of Khashoggi

‘Clearly President Trump and secretary Pompeo have decided that other aspects of the Saudi relationship are so important that they preempt everything else’

EXCERPT:

CONNOLLY: "Clearly President Trump and Secretary Pompeo have decided that other aspects of the Saudi relationship are so important that they preempt everything else. But in this particular case, a man was murdered and dismembered and it was premeditated. And our intelligence community and the Turkish intelligence community have consistently moved closer and closer to the crown prince as somebody who not only was aware of it, but, in fact, directed it, planned it. We now know that there were multiple phone conversations between the crown prince and a key aide who oversaw the operation to murder Khashoggi in the consulate in Istanbul. I think all the evidence tells you something very tragic and very unpleasant to hear about the crown prince. I think Trump and Pompeo are providing cover. I think it's a very -- a ennoble thing to do. I think it's a very craven moment in the U.S. presidency, frankly. Certainly a murder ought to give us moral clarity and we ought to speak out about it and react to it in substantive ways. Unfortunately, Trump is not going to do that. And that hurts American leadership and moral standing on all kinds of issues around the world." 

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