Utah Senate candidate and former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power McConnell pushes back on Trump: 'There will be an orderly transition' MORE on Thursday said the United States can't "minimize the brutal & gruesome murder" of Jamal Khashoggi, calling for sanctions against the "perpetrators."

"America can't excuse & minimize the brutal & gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident & columnist. Our country is defined by human values, by principle above convenience, & by commitment to morality. We must subject the perpetrators of this outrage to withering sanction," Romney tweeted.

America can't excuse & minimize the brutal & gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident & columnist. Our country is defined by human values, by principle above convenience, & by commitment to morality. We must subject the perpetrators of this outrage to withering sanction. — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 18, 2018

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Romney's remarks add to the pressure the Trump administration is coming under from Republicans to take a tough approach with Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi, who entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and hasn’t been seen since.

The former Massachusetts governor is almost certain to be elected to the Senate next month.

He's often criticized President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, though earlier this fall he denied he'd ever been a leader of the "never Trump" crowd. The remark raised eyebrows given a fiery speech that Romney gave against Trump in 2016, when he labeled the then-GOP presidential candidate a "phony" and a "fraud."

Romney's tweet came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said Saudi Arabia would have “a few more days" to complete its investigation into what happened to Khashoggi.

Turkish officials have said Khashoggi was likely killed at the consulate, and new reports from Turkey have said there is audio of people cutting off Khashoggi’s fingers and beheading him inside the consulate.