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What changes after all the Saudi conference walkouts?

More prominent figures dropped out of the Future Investment Initiative conference yesterday, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. But don’t expect huge changes in the world’s relationship with the Saudis in the wake of the disappearance and suspected killing of a prominent Saudi journalist.

President Trump appears to be taking a tougher stance on reports that Saudi officials authorized the alleged assassination of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and has come close to acknowledging Saudi royals’ role in the matter. Goldman Sachs, which also dropped out of the conference yesterday, took a particularly strong line: “This incident is unacceptable and clearly they have to answer questions,” David Solomon, the bank’s C.E.O., told CNBC.

But many others are trying to find ways to preserve ties with the Saudis and their wealth. Some Republicans allied with Mr. Trump have begun disparaging Mr. Khashoggi to support the president’s reluctance to take a hard line, according to the WaPo:

In recent days, a cadre of conservative House Republicans allied with Trump has been privately exchanging articles from right-wing outlets that fuel suspicion of Khashoggi, highlighting his association with the Muslim Brotherhood in his youth and raising conspiratorial questions about his work decades ago as an embedded reporter covering Osama bin Laden, according to four G.O.P. officials involved in the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Meanwhile, Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, urged the president to stand by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, arguing that the outrage would fade. Defense contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin are also expected to keep close ties to Saudi Arabia, one of their biggest customers.