What’s happening

A deadly shooting rampage by a Saudi Air Force student at a Florida naval base has drawn attention to President Trump’s relationship with the oil-rich Gulf nation.

In one of his first public statements on the shooting, Trump tweeted that he received condolences from the Saudi royal family and emphasized that the suspect “in no way shape or form” represents the Saudi people. He later echoed those sentiments in comments to reporters. Investigators are still determining a motive for the shooting in which three victims died, and whether the attack was an act of terror.

Trump’s quick defense of Saudi Arabia is seen by some as part of a pattern in which he has consistently sided with the country during his time in office. The president has repeatedly refused to blame the royal family for the killing of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, despite the CIA’s assesment that his murder was ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump also said the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” to attack Iran in response to drone attacks on Saudi oil fields in September.

Trump has only used his veto power five times while in office. Four of those vetoes were used to stop bills that would have punished Saudi Arabia for its ongoing war in Yemen, which has caused what the United Nations called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Why there’s debate

Trump’s critics have accused him of undermining America’s interests by serving as a “spokesperson for a Saudi regime that is struggling to maintain international legitimacy. The president is willing to overlook the country’s abuses, they argue, in order to continue buying Saudi Arabia’s oil and selling them weapons. Others say Trump’s actions are likely guided by personal financial interests that the public doesn’t know about because he has refused to disclose his financial interests. Read more

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