Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., took issue with President Donald Trump's refusal Tuesday to further punish Saudi Arabia for the slaying of Jamal Khashoggi, warning America should not "look the other way when it comes to the brutal murder."
Sen. Graham — who has often backed the president and his agenda — said he believes there is support on both sides of the aisle to impose "serious sanctions" against Saudi Arabia, Washington Examiner reported.
"I fully realize we have to deal with bad actors and imperfect situations on the international stage," Graham said in a statement, the Examiner reported. "However, when we lose our moral voice, we lose our strongest asset."
Calling the incident a "barbaric act which defied all civilized norms," Graham said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's behavior "has shown disrespect for the relationship and made him, in my view, beyond toxic."
Graham said former President Barack Obama's administration proved that ignoring a problem in the Middle East "seldom works out."
"Time and time again, President Obama chose to look the other way as Iran took increasingly provocative actions," Graham said. "Each time, it led to even worse Iranian behavior and created even larger problems for the future. Likewise, it is not in our national security interests to look the other way when it comes to the brutal murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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