Two weeks ago, Jamal Khashoggi entered the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul and never came out. He was a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, a permanent U.S. resident who lived in Virginia, and a graduate of Indiana University. He spoke out against the brutal regime in Saudi Arabia and, according to recent reports from the New York Times, he was tortured to death. The Saudi squad of killers actually began to dismember him while he was still alive, first removing his fingers before beheading him and dismembering him. And Turkish authorities reportedly have audio of the whole thing because they had the embassy bugged.
As they cut off Mr. Khashoggi’s head and dismembered his body, a doctor of forensics who had been brought along for the dissection and disposal had some advice for the others, according to the senior Turkish official.
Listen to music, he told them, as he put on headphones himself. That was what he did to ease the tension when doing such work, the official said, describing the contents of the audio recording.
It seems only a matter of time before Turkish officials leak the audio to the public. You better believe U.S. intelligence agencies have probably already heard it. You better believe those U.S. intelligence agencies informed Donald Trump that this was a calculated assassination ordered by the Saudi prince himself. Did U.S. intelligence agencies warn the White House the Saudis were planning to torture or assassinate Khashoggi? Congress should be asking for answers immediately. Did Jared Kushner pass along any intel to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman when Kushner secretly traveled to meet with him?
With all of that in mind, watch this video below of lying Donald Trump responding to questions about Saudi Arabia and Jamal Khashoggi, particularly the question about why the FBI has not been tasked to investigate given that Khashoggi is a resident of Virginia. And note his body language. Trump folds his arms whenever he’s feeling insecure, backed in a corner, and trying to exhibit control. In fact, he’s doing the opposite.
Once again, Donald Trump refuses to acknowledge that Jamal Khashoggi was a resident of the United States. He had long lived in Virginia. He was a graduate of Indiana University. It is a moral low point for this nation that Trump refuses to stand up for American ideals, siding time and time again with his Saudi investors. Instead of addressing the seriousness of a so-called American ally freely targeting and assassinating a U.S.-based journalist simply because he is critical of the Saudi regime, Trump preferred to bully the reporter for asking the necessary questions. That’s another tell of his insecurity. When you don’t want to come off as the dumbest person in the room, you try to make someone else look dumber. You see, Trump only punches down. When it comes to standing up to real danger, real power, he’s a coward. After all, this is a man who actually curtsied to the king of Saudi Arabia because he adorned Trump’s neck with a golden trinket. HE CURTSIED! Can you imagine if a Democratic president had done such a thing?
We have nearly two years of evidence that Donald Trump is a threat to the security of this nation and the world. His gross incompetence will lead to further deaths. We owe it to Jamal Khashoggi and all journalists who put themselves in danger every single day to get to the bottom of this and hold Saudi Arabia accountable.
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