“King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr. Khashoggi,” Trump said in a statement laden with exclamation points. “Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!”

In the statement, Trump also noted that Saudi Arabia had labeled Khashoggi “enemy of the state” and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but said, “my decision is in no way based on that.”

Later, speaking on the White House lawn, Trump denied the CIA had concluded that the crown prince personally ordered Khashoggi death. “Like I said, ‘Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t.’ They did not make that assessment. The CIA has looked at it. They’ve studied it a lot. They have nothing definitive.”  

Instead, Trump said his decision to give the Saudis a pass was motivated by the desire to continue U.S. arms sales and cheap oil. “It’s all about “America First. We’re not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders, and let Russia, China, and everybody else have them,” Trump said. “Saudi Arabia — if we broke with them, I think your oil prices would go through the roof. I’ve kept them down. They’ve helped me keep them down. Right now, we have low oil prices, or relatively. I’d like to see it go down even lower — lower.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, told reporters the U.S. must do business with Saudi Arabia even though in his words “it’s a mean, nasty world out there.”

“The United States will continue to have a relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are an important partner of ours. We will do that with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its people. That is the commitment that the president made today. It’s that straightforward,” Pompeo said.

CUE THE OUTRAGE: The denunciations of Trump’s transactional doctrine were swift, bipartisan, and heavy on moral outrage.

“I fully realize we have to deal with bad actors and imperfect situations on the international stage. However, when we lose our moral voice, we lose our strongest asset.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

“The president’s and secretary of state’s Khashoggi statements to date are inconsistent with an enduring foreign policy, with our national interest, with basic human rights, and with American greatness.” Sen.-elect Mitt Romney, R-Utah

“We’re in danger of seeing our moral standing in the world eroded … The world scratches its head and wonders what is becoming of America?” Ohio Gov. John Kasich, R

“I never thought I’d see the day a White House would moonlight as a public relations firm for the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.” tweeted Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.

“This White House statement is a stunning window into President Trump’s autocratic tendencies, his limited grasp of world affairs, and his weakness on the world stage. It is shocking to see President Trump continue to act as an accomplice to a clear cover-up by Saudi leadership,” Sen. Jack Reed, ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.

“President Trump’s habit of siding with murderous foreign dictators over American intelligence professionals is a stain on our democracy that undermines the American ideal,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen D-N.H.

“I’m pretty sure this statement is Saudi Arabia First, not America First. I’m also pretty sure John Bolton wrote it,” tweeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

SANCTIONS COMING: Members of Congress immediately began talking about imposing tough sanctions on the Saudi regime to mete out the punishment that Trump was unwilling to impose. “I firmly believe there will be strong bipartisan support for serious sanctions against Saudi Arabia, including appropriate members of the royal family, for this barbaric act which defied all civilized norms,” said Sen. Graham in his statement.

Sen. Shaheen, who already introduced a sanctions bill last week, said: “Congress must now stand up with bipartisan resolve to condemn the brutal slaying of Jamal Khashoggi and pass legislation to respond to this and other Saudi crimes.”

“I will continue to press for legislation to stop the Saudi arms sales and the war in Yemen” tweeted Rand Paul, while Sen.-elect Romney said, “Sanctions do not necessarily require ending the alliance; they do demand real and painful consequence.”

“I plan to vote against any future arms sales and appropriation to Saudi Arabia,” said Sen.  Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “I also believe that the United States should consider sanctions against the crown prince and that the Saudi ambassador to the United States should not be allowed to continue in that role.”

Trump’s response: “I understand there are members of Congress who, for political or other reasons, would like to go in a different direction – and they are free to do so,” he said in his official statement. “I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America.”

CUTTING THROUGH THE HYPE: Trump’s touting of the jobs and monetary value of the U.S. relationship with the Saudis is also being subjected to a high degree of skepticism. Trump claimed, “Of the $450 billion, $110 billion will be spent on the purchase of military equipment from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and many other great U.S. defense contractors.”

But a new report by William Hartung at the left-leaning Center for International Policy argues Trump has “wildly exaggerated” the benefits. The $110 billion deal is a “mixture of orders approved during the Obama administration, a few new offers, and tens of billions in speculative deals. Actual deals implemented since President Trump took office total just $14.5 billion,” Hartung writes. The Washington Examiner has also looked into the arms deals and found the president’s figures are mostly aspirational for sales that could occur over the coming decade.

As for U.S. jobs, Trump has claimed 400,000 or more will be created by Saudi spending, but the number is probably in the tens of thousands. “Actual, paid-for deliveries of U.S.-produced arms for Saudi Arabia have averaged about $2.5 billion per year over the past decade, enough to support at most 20,000 to 40,000 jobs, some of which are located overseas,” according to the analysis.

TAKING IT PERSONALLY: For the Washington Post, which considered Jamal Khashoggi one its own, the outrage meter rose to highest scale. “Mr. Trump has betrayed American values in service to what already was a bad bet on the 33-year-old prince,” the paper said in an editorial.

“Mr. Trump sidestepped a CIA finding that the crown prince was behind the killing; casually slandered Mr. Khashoggi, who was one of the Arab world’s most distinguished journalists; and repeated gross falsehoods and exaggerations about the benefits of the U.S. alliance with the kingdom,” the newspaper said in calling on Congress hold Crown Prince Mohammed accountable. “The alternative is a world where dictators know they can murder their critics and suffer no consequences.”

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyondefense.