Dem Rep. Swalwell: Disturbing ‘Saudis Are Parroting What the President Wants Them to Say’

Wednesday on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) said President Donald Trump was signaling what to say to Saudi Arabia about the disappearance and likely killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Swalwell said, “I kind of fall back on my work as a prosecutor where if it takes this long to come up with an explanation as to what happened. well, we kind of already know that the Saudis are responsible and now they’re seeking to mitigate just, you know, who knew at the highest levels.”

He continued, “What’s disturbing here is that the United States is actually a part of the, you know, explanation process with the Saudis.”

He added, “It’s looking more and more– you know I thought just a couple of days ago that the President was parroting what the Saudis wanted him to say, as to what happened, but now it seems more like the Saudis are parroting what the President wants them to say, as he is, you know, really imploring on them to use this this deny, deny, deny approach that he always seems to get away with.”

When asked if Trump is part of a “cover-up,” Swalwell said, “Well, it fits the pattern of every time Donald Trump is presented with overwhelming evidence, he thinks he can just deny his way out of it. And now we see that a Wall Street Journal reporting tonight is that U.S. Government and Saudi officials are working to minimize what role the Crown Prince and the King had in the killing. I’m afraid that will dim the moral leadership that we have always had in the world that keeps us safe here at home and keeps order across the globe.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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