President Trump seldom waits for the facts before rendering judgment. But when it comes to the disappearance of Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, allegedly killed by Saudi Arabia in Turkey, Trump has been strangely reticent.
Vice President Pence reacted by denouncing “violence against journalists” and said, “The free world deserves answers,” while Republicans in Congress warned that relations with Saudi Arabia would be rethought. The State Department backed an investigation.
But there was no outraged statement from the president, no summoning of the Saudi ambassador for an explanation. It didn’t even rise to the level of a tweet.
In the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump accepted U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley’s resignation, reporters asked if he had spoken to the Saudis about it.