Political impacts from Trump’s statement on Khashoggi’s death

It’s been a mantra ever since his 2016 campaign, “Make America Great Again.”

On Monday, President Trump echoing those statements as he stood with Saudi Arabia.

“It’s about America first,” Trump said.

Trump making the statement despite reports it was the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who ordered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death.

“We are with Saudi Arabia, we are staying with Saudi Arabia,” Trump said.

“If he had done something differently it may have been irresponsible,” Steven Pittz, an assistant political science professor at UCCS, said.

Pittz said he’s not surprised by the move and believes global leaders won’t be either, with the exception of Turkey.

“Because Turkey is sort of a rival of Saudi Arabia’s for dominance in the region. They’re playing it to help their cause to make Saudi Arabia look bad, to make the U.S. look bad,” Pittz said.

It’s a harsh choice between human rights and national interests and U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia are high right now. Especially, with what Pittz describes as the long game of containing Iran.

“Especially after the dissolution of Iraq, Iran is now the sort of soon-to-be regional power, and that’s not in the United States’ interest, it’s not in Saudi Arabia’s interests,” Pittz said.

Pittz said though, because of the choice Trump made, he will take a hit politically.

“Anytime you’re allied with people who don’t share your basic values, there’s gonna be times where things look bad,” Pittz said.