Trump Finds Khashoggi Murder 'Happens,' Media Shocked By Stating The Obvious
The New York Times reported on Trump's latest nonchalant 'things happen' dismissal of Saudi Arabia's state-sanctioned assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The paper presented this as a shocking revelation of Trump's indifference, conveniently forgetting that Trump refused to sanction MBS directly even then, prioritizing arms deals. The incident came after the Biden administration,
after a brief rhetorical pause, also continued to supply arms to Saudi Arabia, ensuring business as usual despite the Khashoggi report (ref. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2021) directly implicating MBS. One might wonder at the timing of this 're-discovery' of Trump's unwavering loyalty to petro-dollars over human rights. As the U.S. continues to arm authoritarian regimes
globally, how many 'things happen' until the media acknowledges it's policy, not personality, that's truly consistent?