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Trump’s ‘Long History’ of Financial Dealings with the Saudis Complicates the Khashoggi Affair
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Trump’s ‘Long History’ of Financial Dealings with the Saudis Complicates the Khashoggi Affair

Authors Carolyn Kenney and Jeremy Venook detail President Trump's complicated financial history with the Saudi government and explain why these conflicts of interest pose a threat to U.S. national security.

As the fallout from the disappearance and suspected murder of Saudi critic, journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi continues, the Trump administration’s response seems to confirm our worst fears about President Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest and financial entanglements. His family’s mysterious relationships with Saudi Arabia may be compromising American values and interests.

The president defended Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), arguing that the Saudi prince has been deemed “guilty until proven innocent.” Trump has even floated an excuse for the Saudis by suggesting that “rogue killers” may have killed Khashoggi, despite the fact that there is every indication that such an act would have required the crown prince’s approval and that members of the prince’s own Royal Guard were at the Saudi consulate when Khashoggi disappeared.

The above excerpt was originally published in The National Interest. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Carolyn Kenney

Former Senior Policy Analyst, Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding Initiative

Jeremy Venook

Research Associate