Meat The Press, Con't

Donald Trump goes all in on backing the Saudi murder of a US reporter, because oil is more important than anything.

President Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to remain a “steadfast partner” of Saudi Arabia despite saying that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have known about the plan to murder dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month.

Defying intense pressure from U.S. lawmakers to impose tougher sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Trump also said he would not cancel military contracts with the kingdom. He said it would be a “foolish” move that would only benefit Russia and China, competitors of the United States in the arms market.

Trump said U.S. intelligence agencies were still studying the evidence around Khashoggi’s killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and who planned it. Since the murder, Trump has taken varying positions on how to react, including possible sanctions.

But on Tuesday, Trump stressed Saudi Arabia’s weapons purchases and its role in keeping world oil prices low as influencing his decision.

“It’s all about, for me, very simple. It’s America first,” Trump said, adding: “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.”

Speaking at the White House to reporters before departing for Florida, Trump said of the possibility that the Saudi crown prince had a hand in the murder: “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t” and argued that the CIA had not made a definitive determination.

His comments contradicted the CIA, which believes Khashoggi’s death was ordered directly by the crown prince, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler widely known by his initials MbS.

Trump was accused by Democratic lawmakers of undermining his own intelligence agencies and failing to confront Saudi Arabia over a human rights atrocity.

To recap, holding Saudi Arabia responsible for killing a US resident will never happen, because it might hurt the global economy.  Saudi Arabia apparently is the most powerful economy on Earth and could destroy America and the world at any time.  Also, if you're an autocrat, feel free to kill American citizens because we won't lift a finger.

And America slides ever closer to authoritarian rule, complete with state media defending Dear Leader.

Sean Hannity tonight defended President Donald Trump at length over his statement on Saudi Arabia even as he repeatedly emphasized that the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was “evil.”

Hannity made it clear he has little doubt that the crown prince ordered it before claiming “there’s nobody that’s been tougher on Saudi Arabia” than him.

“I’ve been their loudest critic, for good reason,” he continued, noting Saudi human rights abuses and how women have been treated in Saudi Arabia.

But then he went on to say that the world “is an ugly, dangerous, complicated place” and that “as evil as this kingdom is––as I have said over the years––the President is right.”

He said that America has always had to make “difficult strategic decisions” and deal with “evil international partners.” Hannity brought up Saudi Arabia’s role in the alliance against Iran and argued, “If the mullahs that chant ‘death to America, death to Israel’ want to wipe Israel off the map, if they ever get nuclear weapons, millions and millions of people can die. So we have to make a strategic decision. We can’t take that risk.”

"Iran will nuke us if we dare defy the regime that's killing US residents!" is an odd position, but here we are.  It's too complicated for you, citizen, only Dear Leader has all the information, so stop worrying about it.  Please ignore the Saudi payments to the US.

All hail Trump.