Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) suggested Monday that the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “disrespectful” to President Trump and other politicians who offered support for the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
“The #KhashoggiMurder was immoral,” Rubio wrote on Twitter. “But it was also disrepectful (sic) to Trump & those of us who have supported the strategic alliance with the Saudi’s.
“Not only did they kill this man,they have left [Trump] & their congressional allies a terrible predicament & given Iran a free gift,” he continued.
{mosads}The Florida Republican has repeatedly vowed that Saudi Arabia will face consequences for its role in the death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and outspoken critic of Saudi leadership.
He has insisted that the U.S. risks losing its credibility on human rights issues if it allows Khashoggi’s killing to go unpunished.
Saudi Arabian leadership initially denied knowing what happened to Khashoggi, but on Friday announced that the 59-year-old had died in what they claimed was a “fight” gone awry. Eighteen people were detained in connection with the incident.
U.S. lawmakers said the explanation was not credible, and have increasingly indicated they believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind Khashoggi’s killing.
Trump, meanwhile, has been publicly accepting of Saudi explanations. He highlighted denials from Saudi leadership, then called Friday’s arrests a “good first step.”
Trump acknowledged in an interview with The Washington Post on Saturday that the Saudis’ story has not been consistent.