Trump did none of that. Instead, he used his appearances before television cameras — and his Twitter account — to repeatedly offer cover for the Saudis, conveying Riyadh’s condolences with more fervor than he used in relaying his personal feelings about the shooting.

“They are devastated in Saudi Arabia,” Trump told reporters Saturday, unprompted. “And the king will be involved in taking care of families and loved ones. He feels very strongly. He’s very, very devastated by what happened and what took place. Likewise, the crown prince. They are devastated by what took place in Pensacola.”

Trump’s defense of the Saudi government, which began just hours after Friday’s shooting, steadily became a more isolated position over the weekend as more information trickled out about the gunman and other Saudi nationals who were receiving training at the base…

“He decided some time ago that he would be in their corner,” said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “And I don’t think that there’s any circumstance under which he would feel the need to rethink that.”