Trump Vetoes Bipartisan Resolution to End U.S. Support for Saudi War in Yemen, Protecting MBS After Khashoggi Murder

On April 16, 2019, President Trump vetoes S.J. Res. 7, a bipartisan congressional resolution invoking the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The veto protects Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman six months after the CIA concluded with high confidence that MBS ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump’s action ensures continued U.S. complicity in what the United Nations calls “the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

Congressional Bipartisan Rebuke

Congress passed S.J. Res. 7 with significant bipartisan support as a direct response both to the Khashoggi murder and to the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. The resolution sought to remove U.S. armed forces from “hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen” within 30 days, except for operations targeting al-Qaeda.

The Senate passed the measure with every Democrat and independent supporting it, alongside 7 Republicans. The House approved it with all Democrats plus 16 Republicans voting in favor. Several supporters made clear their votes were aimed at expressing frustrations with Trump’s continued support for Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the Khashoggi assassination.

The resolution explicitly defined “hostilities” to include “in-flight refueling of non-U.S. aircraft conducting missions as part of the ongoing civil war in Yemen”—directly targeting U.S. logistical support enabling Saudi bombing campaigns.

Yemen’s Humanitarian Catastrophe

At the time of Trump’s veto, Yemen was experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, directly caused by the Saudi-led military campaign that began in 2015. According to the UN’s February 2019 assessment:

• 24 million people—nearly 80% of Yemen’s population—required humanitarian assistance
• 14.3 million people faced acute need, a 27% increase from 2018
• 3.2 million people required treatment for acute malnutrition, including 2 million children under five
• Over 1 million pregnant and lactating women needed malnutrition treatment
• 17.8 million lacked safe water and sanitation, leading to cholera outbreaks
• 19.7 million lacked adequate healthcare access
• 3.3 million people were displaced by the conflict

The cholera crisis was staggering: between October 2016 and August 2019, over 2,036,960 suspected cholera cases were reported in Yemen, including 3,716 related deaths. Two million children had dropped out of school since the conflict began, and another 3.7 million children’s education was endangered because teachers had not been paid since 2017.

A UN report from August 2019 stated that the U.S., UK, and France may be complicit in committing war crimes in Yemen by selling weapons and providing support to the Saudi-led coalition, which was using the starvation of civilians as a tactic of warfare.

Trump’s Veto Justification

Trump characterized S.J. Res. 7 as “an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities” as commander-in-chief. His veto message claimed:

• The U.S. was not engaged in active hostilities, only providing “intelligence sharing, logistics support, and, until recently, in-flight refueling”
• No American personnel were “commanding, participating in, or accompanying” Saudi-led coalition forces
• The resolution would “harm our bilateral relationships” and “embolden Iran’s malign activities in Yemen”
• Congressional restrictions would infringe on presidential constitutional authority

Trump argued the administration had a duty to safeguard over 80,000 Americans in coalition nations, and that Houthis, supported by Iran, were using missiles and drones to attack civilian and military targets.

Failed Override Attempt

Congress lacked the two-thirds majority required to override Trump’s veto. The Senate failed to override, ensuring continued U.S. support for the Saudi-led campaign despite the humanitarian catastrophe and the kingdom’s murder of Khashoggi.

Significance

Trump’s veto of the Yemen resolution represents his most concrete action to protect Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the Khashoggi murder. Despite bipartisan congressional opposition, CIA findings about MBS’s role in the assassination, and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, Trump prioritizes the U.S.-Saudi relationship above human rights, congressional authority, and international law.

The veto demonstrates several troubling patterns:

Rejecting Congressional War Powers: Trump dismisses Congress’s constitutional role in war-making decisions, asserting absolute presidential authority even for supporting foreign conflicts without a declaration of war.

Protecting MBS: Six months after dismissing CIA findings about the crown prince’s role in Khashoggi’s murder with “maybe he did, maybe he didn’t,” Trump takes concrete action to shield Saudi Arabia from consequences.

Enabling War Crimes: By maintaining U.S. logistical support despite UN warnings that the coalition may be using starvation as a weapon, Trump makes the United States complicit in potential war crimes.

Financial Ties Trump Human Rights: Trump repeatedly cited arms sales to Saudi Arabia (often with vastly inflated figures) as justification for maintaining the relationship. His business received substantial payments from Saudi government entities during his presidency, raising questions about whether financial entanglements influenced his foreign policy decisions.

The Yemen veto, following Trump’s November 2018 statement defending Saudi Arabia despite CIA findings, establishes that authoritarian allies can murder journalists, commit humanitarian atrocities, and face no meaningful consequences from the Trump administration as long as they maintain financial relationships with the United States and serve perceived strategic interests against Iran.