PRIORITIES

Trump: I’m Not Going to ‘Destroy the Economy’ Over Khashoggi Killing

Trump said the U.S. would not “give up hundreds of billions of dollars of orders” from Saudi Arabia.

President Trump told reporters the U.S. would not “give up hundreds of billions of dollars” by retaliating against Saudi Arabia in the wake of a CIA report that Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “I’m not going to destroy the world economy and I’m not going to destroy the economy for our country by being foolish with Saudi Arabia,” the president said on Tuesday. “We’re not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars of orders… I think the oil prices would go through the roof.” The president also said he didn’t have any financial interests in Saudi Arabia and “couldn’t care less,” but warned that Saudi business might go elsewhere if the U.S. retaliated. “They buy hundreds of billions of dollars of things from this country... They will get the military equipment and other things from Russia and China. Russia and China would be very, very happy,” he said. In a statement earlier Tuesday, Trump refused to implicate the crown prince in Khashoggi’s slaying—despite the CIA reportedly concluding the crown prince ordered the murder himself.

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Saudis May Have Killed Khashoggi, but the U.S. Doesn’t Care

Andrew Desiderio