The Senate Thinks It Can Change the U.S.-Saudi Relationship

The Senate faced down Donald Trump on Thursday, demanding the withdrawal of U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen by a resounding bipartisan margin, then unanimously declaring the Saudi crown prince responsible for the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It was a historic challenge not only to the president, but also to the nature of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, which has spanned some seven decades.

Except that it won’t actually get the U.S. out of the war. So what was the point?

In short, it was more about politics than policy—and the political shift has been rapid and significant ever since Khashoggi’s death in October. Suddenly, even traditional stalwarts of the Saudi alliance in the Senate, such as the South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, were lining up to condemn what they called the Kingdom’s recklessness, demanding a change in its behavior.