AllTop Viral!

As the fallout from the murder of Jamal Khashoggi begins to come into clearer focus, it’s starting to look like the murder of Archduke Ferdinand insofar as its pulling on several strings within a tangled web of international ties.

Khashoggi’s killing has forced President Trump to respond to the accusations that Saudi Arabia orchestrated the murder. Trump could either defend, decry, or deflect on the issue. He opted to defend Saudi Arabia, a longtime American ally.

There will soon be domestic consequences for Trump’s action. CNBC summarizes a Washington Post interview with Adam Schiff,

There are a whole set of potential financial conflicts of interest and emoluments problems that Congress will need to get to the bottom of,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told Greg Sargent, a liberal columnist for the paper. “Certainly if foreign investment in the Trump businesses is guiding U.S. policy in a way that’s antithetical to the country’s interests, we need to find out about it.

This domestic trouble has potentially global consequences. As this NYT opinion piece argues, Trump is right to defend Saudi Arabia, and if he gives in to Democratic pressure there could be global consequences:

The murder of Mr. Khashoggi was a brutal and grotesque act. The United States has registered its feelings loudly and clearly by putting sanctions on the 17 men who were directly involved in the killing. Punishing the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia will not bring justice for Mr. Khashoggi, nor will it make Saudi Arabia a more dependable ally. It will simply diminish the influence of the United States and embolden its enemies.

International pressure, such as the kind that Turkey is laying on thick right now, could add to the Democrat’s pressure on Trump’s decision and potentially cause serious international consequences.

More news.