GOP senators confident Saudi crown prince was responsible for Khashoggi killing after CIA briefing

Mohammed bin Salman.
(Image credit: FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images)

The Trump administration contends there's no direct evidence connecting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But after a briefing from the CIA, key members of the GOP came away with a very different conclusion.

CIA Director Gina Haspel held a closed-door meeting with some members of the Senate Tuesday, and they emerged more confident than ever that bin Salman is responsible for the journalist's murder. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a Trump advocate, said he's "confident" of the crown prince's involvement and said one would have to be "willfully blind" to think otherwise, reports ABC News. There is "zero chance, zero, that this happened in such an organized fashion without the crown prince," Graham declared, adding that he would really "question someone's judgment" if they couldn't "figure this out."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.