CNN is no longer a home for objective news and information. It’s now a home for speculation and conspiracy theories. That fact was quite apparent during Thursday’s Cuomo PrimeTime when host Chris Cuomo rolled out his conspiracy tracking whiteboard and suggested that President Trump’s ties to Saudi Arabia caused Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to feel motivated to kill Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi had been missing for a week after he walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. And despite President Trump telling the press that “[s]omething like that should not be allowed to happen” plus “[s]omething like that should not happen and we intend to get to the bottom of it,” Cuomo was irritated by the President.
“All right, he's saying the right things, but the energy there, the tone, it's a little circumspect. Curious,” Cuomo questioned alluding to a darker meaning. “Trump, who we all know usually goes further, faster than anyone, in terms of tough talk, is now saying, go slow.”
The conspiracy theories started to flow when Cuomo seemed to suggest the U.S. had information on a threat against Khashoggi and said nothing. “If the U.S. intelligence had the communications they say they had, which was setting out a plot afoot....The United States also had a duty to warn, and there could be pushback,” he speculated.
Cuomo then huffed about Trump not cutting off a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia after Trump cited the Kingdom’s ability to just go to America’s adversaries for arms. “The material and technology that we provide, a unique fashion. So, that's something you can leverage. But that's not how Trump sees it....So, is that what's on his mind? Money here,” Cuomo pondered with a skeptical tone.
The raging CNN host admitted that the U.S. “does have a long policy of somewhat looking the other way” with the Saudis, but declared “that may seem more true than ever with this administration.” This was when he delved into the deep conspiracy theories involving Trump’s finances and Prince Salman.
“He is on uniquely good terms with the Trump administration, specifically, Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law, who has visited MBS several times in Riyadh, including an unannounced trip last October. Just this past March, Kushner played a major role in hosting the crown prince in Washington,” Cuomo stated.
The wild-eyed Cuomo then suggested: “Maybe he and Jared Kushner are too close. Maybe MBS sees the leverage in his favor.” Despite admitting that he doesn’t “know what the relationship is about,” he still insisted Salman and Kushner were very close.
“Is any of it financial? Does MBS know something about business ties that he may feel motivated by and have leverage? Why would I speculate that way,” he unironically asked the camera. “Because Trump has done plenty of business with the Saudis, and in fact, he has called that business a factor for his forgiveness and like of them.” He then played a soundbite of Trump speaking at a rally in 2015 where he said Saudis bought his condos.
Clearly bitter, Cuomo complained that Trump might do nothing because the President noted that “Khashoggi is not a U.S. citizen.” “We know why he said that,” Cuomo spat obviously suggesting the reason was racism.
After lecturing Trump supporters who compare the President to Teddy Roosevelt, he decreed that “doing nothing could send a signal, one that Trump is once again playing nice with a potential bad guy.”
This was not a discussion of the news of the day. This was the ramblings of a conspiracy theorist looking to create a crazy narrative. This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN's Cuomo Prime Time
October 11, 2018
9:27 p.m. EasternCUOMO: Jamal Khashoggi, you’re probably familiar with the name by now. He’s the man who vanished just over a week ago, after he walked through the doors of a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey. Why should it matter? Well, at the most basic level, this is about human rights. I mean, it's a no-brainer, if the leader of the free world, the president of the United States should condemn this, but instead, here's what we got.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It's not our country, it's in Turkey, and it's not a citizen, as I understand it. But a thing like that shouldn't happen. It is a reporter with the Washington Post. Something like that should not be allowed to happen. Something like that should not happen. And we intend to get to the bottom of it.
CUOMO: All right, he's saying the right things, but the energy there, the tone, it's a little circumspect. Curious. So, let's look at the plus/minus of dealing hard with Saudi Arabia, which is what a bunch of senators from both parties are asking for. While Trump, who we all know usually goes further, faster than anyone, in terms of tough talk, is now saying, go slow.
So on the plus side, we have proof of the problem. What? The Washington Post tonight reporting the Turkish government has told the U.S. it has audio and video recordings proving that Khashoggi wasn't just messed with in the building. He was murdered there. There's said to be gruesome with one source telling the Post, can you hear the alleged interrogation, torture, and murder. Do we know? No, they're going to have to show it.
But on the minus side, if the U.S. intelligence had the communications they say they had, which was setting out a plot afoot, not this kind of murder that we’re hearing about now from the Turks. The United States also had a duty to warn, and there could be pushback. Hey, if you knew, why didn't you tell him? There's a duty to warn under your intelligence directives. All right.
Now, that obligation aside. What does it lead us to in terms of, what's the good side? Well, one of the good sides is this: the Saudis need our defense systems, all right? The material and technology that we provide, a unique fashion. So, that's something you can leverage. But that's not how Trump sees it, listen.
TRUMP: I don't like the concept of stopping an investment of $110 billion into the United States, because you know what they're going to do, they're going to take that money and spend it in Russia or China or someplace else.
CUOMO: All right. So, is that what's on his mind? Money here.
Another one. We do use Saudi Arabia to counter Iranian influence. They fight extremism, they maintain stability in the Middle East. Now, I know critics will say, “Saudi Arabia, they're the head of the snake when it comes to terrorism.” Politics can get complicated when it comes to fighting terror in that part of the world. And the U.S. does have a long policy of somewhat looking the other way, when it comes to a lot that goes on in the Saudi kingdom. That may seem more true than ever with this administration. Why?
Well, the plus, the man in command, they call him MBS, Mohammed bin Salman. He is on uniquely good terms with the Trump administration, specifically, Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law, who has visited MBS several times in Riyadh, including an unannounced trip last October. Just this past March, Kushner played a major role in hosting the crown prince in Washington.
Well, what’s the minus? Well, MBS has done bad things to opponents, including family. And if he's willing to capture, kill, and cut up one of his own, he may not be looking to fold just because he’s friends with you. Maybe he and Jared Kushner are too close. Maybe MBS sees the leverage in his favor. I don't know what the relationship is about, I don't know why they're so quiet -- so close. Is any of it financial? Does MBS know something about business ties that he may feel motivated by and have leverage? Why would I speculate that way? Because Trump has done plenty of business with the Saudis, and in fact, he has called that business a factor for his forgiveness and like of them.
TRUMP [2015]: Saudi Arabia, and I get along great with all of them. They buy apartments from me, they spend 40 million, 50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.
CUOMO: So, whether for good or bad reason, what if Trump does decide to do nothing and he laid some groundwork for doing nothing today by pointing out that Khashoggi is not a U.S. citizen. We know why he said that.
Trump supporters like to compare him – some of them like to say he’s like Teddy Roosevelt. Well, maybe he should hear – head Teddy Roosevelt's words. “In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing. The worst thing can you do is nothing.” It applies here, because doing nothing could send a signal, one that Trump is once again playing nice with a potential bad guy. And that message could be received by a strong man like MBS as acquiescence, weakness, and that is all but an invitation to do more.
