Dissatisfaction of American Legislators with Trump's Approach to the Khashoggi Murder Report

Several Republican and Democratic senators in the United States expressed dissatisfaction on Monday, March 4, with Donald Trump's administration's approach in not providing more information regarding the case of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist critical of the Saudi Crown Prince. According to Reuters, officials from the U.S. State Department and the Treasury Department attended a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting to present a report on the Khashoggi murder case and answered questions from committee members. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated after the meeting that it was a complete waste of time, claiming he knew more than they did. He emphasized that 'now is the time for action' but did not provide further details. Republican Senator Mitt Romney also remarked that the meeting was unhelpful and that the lack of progress was disappointing. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez stated that he believes the Senate must take action; otherwise, they would have to accept the death of a U.S.-based journalist as an acceptable trade-off for broader relations, which he would not accept. Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for the Washington Post, went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2 but did not come out. In the early days of the media coverage of Khashoggi's murder, Saudi Arabia vehemently denied the crime, but after 17 days, it acknowledged his death, labeling the murder as the act of a 'rogue team' and the result of an 'unintended altercation.' The Saudi king and crown prince have repeatedly claimed they were unaware of the crime, a statement that has been rejected by several figures and organizations, including the CIA. Reuters reports that the U.S. government was supposed to present a report to Congress in February identifying those responsible for Khashoggi's murder.