“Brutal violence happens relatively frequently in Saudi Arabia, but the victims tend to be anonymous. Jamal was not anonymous. He was a writer and journalist for The Washington Post… It humanizes him as a victim in a way [others] aren’t.”

“Even if the Trump administration exonerates the Saudis, Congress is saying it is prepared to press this issue publicly.”

“[E]ven if some in the administration were to hope that this incident would kind of smooth over and go away, I don’t think that’s likely to be possible because of the strong reaction from leading members of Congress and senators from each party.”

“It is one of the hallmarks of this administration that they do not like to make any public criticism of their Arab authoritarian partners, and it seems Saudi Arabia is one of the most favored.”

“He is trying to lay the groundwork for strong relations with the United States for what he hopes will be decades as king of Saudi Arabia. He wants to establish relationships with companies and investors and build confidence.”