Corker mocks the White House as a "public relations firm" for the Saudi Crown Prince

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob CorkerRobert (Bob) Phillips CorkerCIA report complicates US response to murder of Khashoggi Corker: "All indications are that Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi's assassination The CIA finds that the Saudi Crown Prince has ordered The assassination of Khashoggi: report PLUS (R-Tenn.) Criticized Tuesday the White House for its role as "public relations firm" for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman after President TrumpDonald John TrumpPaul Ryan defends the admiral of the navy after Trump's critics. Trump discusses his visit abroad as a result of criticism. issued a statement defending US-Saudi relations.

"I never imagined seeing the day when the White House would be a public relations company for the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia," Corker wrote in a retweet of Trump's statement, in which he wondered if the Crown Prince was responsible for the death of US-based dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Corker, who is due to retire as chairman of the external relations committee at the end of the year, recently blamed the White House for failing to provide information on the details of Khashoggi's murder. He was killed last month by a team of Saudi agents after he entered the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.

The CIA recently concluded that Prince Mohammad was involved in the plan to kill Khashoggi on the basis of an intercepted phone call and other evidence, according to several reports.

Trump, however, said Tuesday that King Salman and the Crown Prince had vigorously denied any information on the planning or execution of Khasghoggi's murder.

"Our intelligence agencies continue to evaluate all the information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince has learned about this tragic event – maybe he did it and maybe that He did not do it! "Said Trump in his statement.

Corker was the third Republican in the Senate to criticize Trump's statement on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, he called for sanctions against Saudi Arabia going beyond the sanctions imposed by the Trump government on 17 Saudi agents directly involved in Khashoggi's assassination.

Corker praised these individual sanctions as "an important step in this process which, hopefully, will also involve additional actions".

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamCIA Report complicates US response to Khashoggi murder Leon Panetta's nightmare is the current national security crisis The Hill & # 39; s Morning Report – The victorious GOP in Florida while Sunbelt's strategy looks promising for 2020 (R-S.C.), Chairman of the foreign affairs credit sub-committee of the State Department and Senate, issued a statement Tuesday warning Trump not to neglect Saudi Arabia's behavior.

"It is not in the interest of our national security to look away from the brutal murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi," Graham said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.

Graham argued on Tuesday that the Senate should act by voting on sanctions legislation.

"I firmly believe that there will be strong bipartisan support for harsh sanctions against Saudi Arabia, including appropriate members of the royal family, for this barbaric act that has defied all civilized norms. ", did he declare.

"Although Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the Crown Prince's behavior – in myriad ways – has shown a lack of respect for the relationship and made it, in my opinion, beyond poisonous ", he added.

Graham is one of the Republican co-sponsors of Saudi Arabia's accountability law and the Yemeni law, which would suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia, ban US planes to refuel the Saudi coalition aircraft involved in the civil war in Yemen and would require a report on human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia.

The other Cosponsors of the GOP are Sens. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsMcConnell and Flake Dispute to Protect Mueller Defense at Night – Presented by Raytheon – Border Deployment Peaking at 5,800 Soldiers | Trump sanctions 17 Saudis for killing Khashoggi | Senators Propose Bill to Support Trump on Saudis | Paul's efforts to block the sale of weapons in Bahrain failed The senators introduced a bill to respond to the Khashoggi massacre (R-Maine) and Todd YoungTodd Christopher YoungPrivacy Legislation Could Constitute Ground for Congress's Recently-Defeated Congressional Defense – Presented by Raytheon – Border Deployment Peaking at 5,800 Soldiers | Trump sanctions 17 Saudis for killing Khashoggi | Senators Propose Bill to Support Trump on Saudis | Paul's efforts to block the sale of weapons in Bahrain failed The senators introduced a bill to respond to the Khashoggi massacre (R-Ind.), Members of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulClapper: The assassination of a Saudi journalist shows that Trump will accept the words of the autocratic relationship under the pressure of the relationship between the Saudi Crown Prince and Rand Paul: "The overwhelming evidence" that the Crown Prince Saudi was involved in the murder of Khashoggi PLUS (R-Ky.), Another member of the Foreign Relations Committee, criticized Trump's statement Tuesday for promoting a policy of "Saudi Arabia first" instead of a "America's" doctrine first, "as stated by the President.

Paul called for a vote on legislation blocking a sale of arms to Saudi Arabia that Trump valued at $ 110 billion.