Trump Puts a Deadline on His Iran Decision
WTF: Did Eric Swalwell Really Post This Video About ICE Raids
Jasmine Crockett Deposits Her Foot Into Her Mouth Again
This Is How Israel Eliminated Iran's Top Generals in One Master Stroke
Losing on the Battlefield, Iran Eyes Could Shift to America’s Cyber Grid
Justice Barrett Reminds Conservatives Why They Backed Her
Warren Thought She'd Get the Best of Hegseth. She Made Herself Look Like...
Sheldon Whitehouse Receives Some Unwelcome Beach Club Reminders With His Juneteenth Post
So, How's It Going on Improving California Elections?
Jewish House Member Rep. Max Miller Says He Was 'Threatened' by Someone With...
'Unconstitutional': DOJ Sues Kentucky for Giving Discounted College Tuition to Illegal Imm...
Trump Admin Takes Bold Action to Help East Palestine Residents After Biden Neglect
Israeli President Herzog Gives Wide-Ranging Interview Amid Iran War
Here's How Much Taxpayers Pay per Student for Chicago's Failing Public Schools
Ilhan Omar Forced to Delete Post on Juneteenth
Tipsheet

Angus King Accuses John Bolton of 'Ignorance' in Khashoggi Case

At Tuesday's White House press briefing, National Security Adviser John Bolton told reporters that no, he hadn't listened to the tape that reportedly contains audio of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It wouldn't be helpful to hear it, Bolton reasoned, because it was in Arabic.

Advertisement

"What am I going to learn from — if they were speaking Korean, I wouldn’t learn any more from it either,” Bolton said.

The national security official was satisfied that people who do speak Arabic had listened to the recording and shared its contents with him.

“I’m very satisfied that we know what the tape picked up and it was factored into the president’s decision and he’s announced his position very clearly."

President Trump also revealed he had not listened to the "suffering tape." 

“I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it...It was very violent, very vicious and terrible,” he explained.

Lawmakers like Sen. Angus King (I-ME) are not accepting the White House's answers for not listening to the audio, despite how upsetting it is. King even accused Bolton of "deliberate ignorance."

"Of course he should listen to it," King said, adding that there are people who can translate it for him.

King sounded off on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo too. Pompeo wrote an op-ed recently accusing critics of Trump's Saudi Arabia policy of being the same people who supported President Obama's rapprochement with Iran. King rejected the idea those critics are one and the same and added he "doesn't understand the relevance" of Pompeo's comparison. The tension between the Senate and the White House can be explained by their upcoming vote schedule. As King mentioned, they will soon vote on whether to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Continuing to offer aide makes the U.S. "complicit," King asserted.

Advertisement

Khashoggi walked into the Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2 and never reemerged. Reports suggest he was killed and his body dismembered. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about the murder, according to U.S. intelligence officials. Trump is not so sure, telling reporters that the crown prince insisted he had nothing to do with it. The president also said he is reluctant to punish the Saudi government and risk the U.S.'s defense ties with them. However, the administration did impose economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials believed to be connected to the murder.

The world is outraged. In Tunisia, citizens protested Prince Mohammed's arrival. Some carried posters of Salman with an "X" across his face. Others waved saws in the air.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement