Trump defies calls to punish Riyadh for Khashoggi’s murder

US President Donald Trump has declared he will not further punish Saudi Arabia for the murder of US-based writer Jamal Khashoggi — making clear in a statement that the benefits of good relations with the kingdom outweigh the possibility its crown prince ordered the killing.

Trump condemned the brutal slaying of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as a “horrible crime ... that our country does not condone”. But he rejected calls by many in Congress, including members of his own party, for a tougher response, and he dismissed reports from US intelligence agencies that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman must have at least known about such an audacious and intricate plot.

“It could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event,” the president said on Tuesday. “Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!”

The statement captured Trump’s view of the world and foreign policy, grounded in economic necessity. It began with the words “America First!” followed by “The world is a very dangerous place!”

It came after weeks of debate over whether the president would or should come down hard on the Saudis and the crown prince in response to the killing of the Saudi columnist for The Washington Post who had criticized Riyadh.

The United States earlier sanctioned 17 Saudi officials suspected of being responsible for or complicit in the Oct 2 killing, but members of Congress have called for harsher actions, including canceling arms sales.

Trump said “foolishly canceling these contracts” worth billions of dollars would only benefit Russia and other competitors of the US in the arms market. Critics denounced Trump’s statement saying he ignored human rights and granted Saudi Arabia a pass for economic reasons.

Republican Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina senator, disagreed with the president’s statement, saying the US must not lose its “moral voice” on the international stage.

“It is not in our national security interests to look the other way when it comes to the brutal murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi,” Graham said.