At first, Saudi Arabia had no idea what happened to journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Then, Riyadh announced he died in a “fist fight” gone wrong inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul — a regrettable accident, but an accident nonetheless. Then, the story changed again: Khashoggi’s death was premeditated, the Saudi government admitted. It was murder.

This last account was paired with a multitude of promises of accountability for those responsible, and the prospect of concrete consequences for U.S.-Saudi relations began to grow dim. For all the talk of “severe punishment,” Washington’s only remotely substantive response to the murder so far is the revocation of U.S. visas for a few Saudi officials thought to be involved. Sanctions may yet be coming, but President Trump has made it eminently clear he has no interest in administering perhaps the one lesson Riyadh would be sure to learn: ending American arms sales to Saudi Arabia.