Lindsey Graham says 'toxic' Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had Khashoggi 'murdered' and can 'never be a world leader'

Michael Reynolds/Getty Images

Sen. Lindsey Graham said he plans to call for sanctions against Saudi Arabia over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

• Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday said Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "toxic" and can "never be a world leader on the world stage."
• Graham said the crown prince had Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "murdered."
• The Republican senator said he plans to "sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia." 

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday said Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "toxic" and can "never be a world leader on the world stage."

Graham said he believed the crown prince had Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "murdered" in Turkey and said he felt "personally offended" by what's happened given how often he's defend the Saudi kingdom's interests on the Senate floor.

"This guy is a wrecking ball, he had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey, and to expect me to ignore it, I feel used and abused," Graham said of the crown prince in an appearance on "Fox & Friends."

Graham also said the US shouldn't do business with Saudi Arabian again "until we get this behind us." The Republican senator said he would not go back to Saudi Arabia as long as the crown prince is in charge. 

When asked what President Donald Trump should do about the situation, Graham said "it's up to him," adding that he plans to "sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia." 

Since being named crown prince and heir to the throne in 2017, Mohammed bin Salman has made a number of controversial moves to consolidate power, including arresting other princes and prominent businessmen, part of the reason Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US last June. 

Khashoggi disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and Turkish officials have said he was interrogated and killed there. Saudi Arabia has so far denied harming Khashoggi in any way and claim he safely departed the consulate, but has not provided evidence to confirm this. 

On Tuesday, a high-level Turkish official said police found "certain evidence" Khashoggi was killed in the consulate.

Khashoggi's mysterious disappearance has placed the historic relationship between the US and Saudi Arabian governments in a precarious position. A bipartisan group of senators have called for the US to cease arms sales to Saudi Arabia and many have also signaled support for economic sanctions in relation to the Khashoggi case.