Democracy Dies in Darkness

Lindsey Graham meets with Saudi crown prince, reversing past criticism

In the wake of the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Graham said he would never visit Saudi Arabia as long as the crown prince was in power

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April 11, 2023 at 8:19 p.m. EDT
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) at the Capitol in March. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
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Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who once promised a “bipartisan tsunami” against Saudi Arabia in the wake of the 2018 assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, held what he called a “very productive” meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

“I just had a very productive, candid meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and his senior leadership team,” Graham tweeted on Tuesday. “The opportunity to enhance the U.S.-Saudi relationship is real and the reforms going on in Saudi Arabia are equally real.”