FOREIGN POLICY/MEDIA/SAUDI ARABIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday [11-20-18] that he will not take strong action against Saudi Arabia or its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The White House has been struggling to square a widespread sense that the crown prince directed the killing with a desire for Saudi support for its foreign policy priorities and the need to manage close relationships between bin Salman, the Trump administration and members of Trump’s family…Less than an hour after the statement, Trump appeared in the White House Rose Garden to pardon two turkeys for Thanksgiving. He did not mention the journalist’s murder. The President’s statement sets up a clash with lawmakers from both parties who have called for harsh measures against Saudi Arabia and expressed deep reservations about US support for the Kingdom’s war in Yemen. It once again pits Trump against his intelligence agencies and bolsters a regime that has admitted to killing a vocal critic and member of the press.”
–Nicole Gaouette and Kaitlan Collins, “Trump signals US won’t punish Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, November 20, 2018 11:17 am