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  3. Top Senate Democrat accuses Trump of being too 'soft' on Saudi Arabia because of his business ties to the kingdom

Top Senate Democrat accuses Trump of being too 'soft' on Saudi Arabia because of his business ties to the kingdom

Top Senate Democrat accuses Trump of being too 'soft' on Saudi Arabia because of his business ties to the kingdom

Chris Murphy

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy on Wednesday ripped into President Donald Trump's response to the alleged killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

  • Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is concerned that President Donald Trump's "soft" response to the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is linked to Trump's business ties to Saudi Arabia. 
  • "I think the Saudis believe they have a blank check from this presidency," Murphy told Business Insider.
  • Khashoggi, a Saudi national who has often been critical of the Saudi royal family in his reporting, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is "very concerned" that President Donald Trump's "soft" response to the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is linked to the Trump family's business ties to the kingdom.

"I think the Saudis believe they have a blank check from this presidency," Murphy told Business Insider on Wednesday. "I don't understand why there's such a close relationship between the Saudi royal family and the Trump family."

Murphy said there "may be some business interests" that explain the warm relationship.

The Connecticut senator added, "I'm very concerned that US national security policy is for sale and that the business connection between the Saudi royal family and the Trump family may explain why this administration has been so soft on the Saudis throughout the past two years, but especially the past week."

Trump has been doing business with the Saudis for years, and bragged about it during a rally

Trump on Tuesday attempted to downplay his business ties to the Saudis. 

"For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter)," Trump tweeted. "Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!"

But the president's Tuesday tweet didn't paint a complete picture.

The Trump Organization does not currently have any buildings in Saudi Arabia, but the president's businesses have accepted substantial amounts of money from the Saudi government. 

As Business Insider's Bob Bryan reported:

  • Saudi Crown Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal purchased Trump's 282-foot yacht "Princess" for $20 million in 1991 (Trump was nearing bankruptcy at the time) and was part of a group that purchased the financially troubled Plaza Hotel for $325 million in 1995.
  • In 2016, the New York Daily News reported that the Saudi government also purchased the entire 45th floor of the Trump World Tower, for $4.5 million, in June 2001. Given annual fee fares for the building at the time, Trump also was paid $5.7 million by the Saudis between the purchase and 2016, the paper reported.
  • Trump also boasted about his business dealings with the Saudis during a 2015 campaign rally in Mobile, Alabama. "I get along great with all of them; they buy apartments from me," Trump said at the time. "They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much!"
  • The most recent example came last year, as The Washington Post reported in August that a "last-minute" visit from Saudi officials to the president's Trump International Hotel in New York City helped boost the hotel's quarterly revenue by 13% in 2018's first quarter.
  • In addition, a lobbying firm connected to the Saudi government also paid $270,000 to the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, between October 2016 and March 2017.

There are also concerns about Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, and his role in Trump's response to the alleged killing in relation to his ties to the Saudi crown prince.

Khashoggi was allegedly killed in a gruesome way

Khashoggi, a Saudi national who has often been critical of the Saudi royal family in his reporting, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October.

Khashoggi is feared dead, and Turkish officials allege he was brutally killed. 

The Saudis have vehemently denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, but it's been over two weeks since he went missing and they still haven't provided proof he safely departed the consulate. 

Trump has stood by the Saudis and said he doesn't want to stop US arms sales

The Trump administration's overall handling of this crisis has been widely criticized.

Trump has primarily responded by repeatedly touting denials from the Saudi royal family, while emphasizing the importance of US-Saudi relations. The president also at one point suggested "rogue killers" could be responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance, and said the criticism against Saudi Arabia is another case of "guilty until proven innocent." 

In response to Khashoggi's disappearance, there are bipartisan calls in Congress for economic sanctions to be leveled against the Saudis, and for the US to immediately cease arms sales to the kingdom.

But Trump has said it would be a "tough pill to swallow" to stop arms sales, and has boasted about the billions of dollars of arms the US has sold to the Saudis.

Trump on Thursday offered what was perhaps his most forceful statement on the case yet, stating it "certainly looks" like Khashoggi is dead. The president added that if it turns out the Saudis killed him, there will have to be "very severe" consequences, without specifying what the repercussions might be.  

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