93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
(AP) – President Donald Trump says it “certainly looks” as though missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, and he threatened “very severe” consequences if the Saudis are found to have murdered him. His warning came as the administration toughened its response to a disappearance that has sparked global outrage.
Before Trump spoke Thursday, the administration announced that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had pulled out of a major upcoming Saudi investment conference and a U.S. official said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had warned the Saudi crown prince that his credibility as a future leader is at stake.
Pompeo said the Saudis should be given a few more days to finish and make public a credible investigation before the U.S. decides “how or if” to respond.
President Donald Trump is defending Republican congressman Greg Gianforte, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a reporter who asked him a question last year.
At a campaign rally in Montana on Thursday, Trump said, “Any guy that can do a body slam – he’s my kind of guy.”
Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs says Gianforte “body slammed” him for asking a question in May 2017, the day before Gianforte won a special election for Montana’s only U.S. House seat.
Gianforte initially told police that Jacobs instigated the attack but later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and said Jacobs did nothing wrong.
Gianforte is being challenged in November’s election by former state legislator Kathleen Williams.
Trump called Gianforte a “great guy,” a “tough cookie.”
