Trump thanks Saudi Arabia for lower oil prices

Trump thanks Saudi Arabia for lower oil prices

American President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled down on his defense of Saudi Arabia, thanking the kingdom for helping to keep a lid on oil prices, amid bipartisan criticism for his statement on the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

On Tuesday, Trump declared he would stand by Saudi Arabia, even though the CIA has reportedly concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's killing. After releasing the statement, Trump repeatedly linked his position to his desire to boost arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's role in preventing an oil price spike.

Early Wednesday morning, Trump took to Twitter to promote the recent sharp pullback in oil prices and to praise Saudi Arabia.

"Oil prices getting lower. Great! Like a big Tax Cut for America and the World. Enjoy! $54, was just $82. Thank you to Saudi Arabia, but let's go lower!," Trump tweeted, giving an inaccurate account of the drop in oil prices.

A Saudi prosecutor determined last week that agents of the kingdom apprehended Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, gave him a lethal dose of tranquilizers, and cut up his corpse to hide the evidence. The Saudis have changed their story several times since early October, initially saying Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Prince Mohammed, left the consulate unharmed.