The Washington Post reports:

In fielding questions from reporters about the killing of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, President Trump avoided blaming Mohammed bin Salman, despite the CIA’s findings that the Saudi crown prince had ordered the assassination.

“Who should be held accountable?” a reporter asked Trump Thursday. Sitting inside his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, the president took a deep breath, seemingly mulling his response.

Then he said: “Maybe the world should be held accountable, because the world is a vicious place.”

This line of thinking is not new for Trump. When confronted with questions about allegations of murderous acts and abuse of power lodged against autocratic leaders, he has often brushed them aside, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Trump deflects by blaming other countries for also committing atrocious acts, or the United States for having “a lot of killers.” He condemns the world, but not the powerful people accused of making it “vicious” in the first place. [Continue reading…]