Marco Rubio added, “Our foreign policy must be about promoting our national interests. It is in our natl interest to defend human rights. HR violations lead to mass migration, help extremism flourish & often result in new governments hostile towards the U.S. because we supported their oppressors."

Twitter

Many posit that “we are aware of no President, not even such ruthless pragmatists as Richard Nixon or Lyndon Johnson, who would have written a public statement like this without so much as a grace note about America’s abiding values and principles. Ronald Reagan especially pursued a hard-line, often controversial, foreign policy against Soviet Communism, but he did so with a balance of unblinkered realism and American idealism. Mr. Trump seems incapable of such balance...

“The risk is that Mr. Trump’s public reduction of the relationship to crass interests is that the Crown Prince will feel he can do anything and suffer no diminution of U.S. support. We hope Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton are delivering a much tougher message in private.”

Wall Street Journal

“The United States is the strong partner here, not the Saudis — they need us far more than we need them. We could certainly have slapped them on the wrist, at the very least — and it is not in the interest of the United States to stand idly while our allies commit open murders against dissidents.

Daily Wire

Others, however, argue that “were Trump to directly blame bin Salman, it would cause a major rupture in U.S.-Saudi relations and the likely realignment of Saudi foreign policy away from America and towards Russia... Trump's choice here was between risking American security and directly recognizing the brutal murder of a decent man. And in the cause of realism... Trump has made the right choice."

Washington Examiner

Many also point out that “authoritarian regimes all over the world kill dissidents and/or activists with rival factions. Russia has killed some. That didn’t stop Obama-Clinton from ‘resetting’ relations with Putin... Under these circumstances, it would not be wise to blow up a valuable geopolitical relationship over the murder of one member of an out-of-power Saudi faction. Not in a world as dangerous as ours."

Power Line Blog

“The American Revolution and its ideals cannot be exported and planted everywhere... During the entire Cold War era, we accommodated, supplied, and [helped] train armed government units that worked for anti-Communist authoritarian regimes, especially in Latin America... At times, you deal with very bad people--and this case is no exception. The consequences of blowing up our ties to the Kingdom over this are not worth it."

Townhall