The Message From Congress: Dictators Can Do What They Want — As Long As Trump Is Their Friend

Rob Berschinski is the senior vice president for policy at Human Rights First and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor.

The president and his political allies continue to do serious damage to America’s global reputation. Now, in a stunning abdication, Congress has used the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to make clear that it will impose no meaningful penalty on Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for directing the murder of Saudi journalist and Virginia resident Jamal Khashoggi, or for prosecuting the horrific war in Yemen.

Since a Saudi hit team killed and dismembered Post contributing columnist Khashoggi in October 2018, Republican and Democratic members of Congress have waxed eloquent on the need to hold the crown prince responsible for the murder. They did so in opposition to a president who has sided with the Saudi dictator over his own diplomats, intelligence professionals and Congress at every available opportunity.

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