President Joe Biden’s administration moved to shield Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from a lawsuit on Thursday over his involvement in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Biden administration said that MBS’ status holding a high office “allows immunity” in response to a lawsuit filed by Khashoggi’s fiancée and by the rights group he founded, Democracy for the Arab World Now.

“The State Department recognizes and allows the immunity of Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman as a sitting head of government of a foreign state,” said Richard C. Visek, Acting Legal Adviser, United States Department of State, in a letter. “The State Department recognizes and allows the immunity of Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman as a sitting head of government of a foreign state.”

“Under common law principles of immunity articulated by the Executive Branch in the exercise of its Constitutional authority over foreign affairs and informed by customary international law, Prime Minister bin Salman as a sitting head of government is immune while in office from the jurisdiction of the United States District Court in this suit,” the letter continued. “In making this immunity determination, the Department of State takes no view on the merits of the present suit and reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi.”

The letter concluded by requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice “submit a suggestion of immunity to the district court.”

BREAKING: Biden administration suggests immunity for MBS in DAWN & Cengiz lawsuit for murder of #JamalKhashoggi:

breaking promise for accountability, Biden guarantees MBS impunity. pic.twitter.com/72n3dV53Gx

— Sarah Leah Whitson (@sarahleah1) November 18, 2022

Biden said in 2019 that he wanted to “make [Saudi Arabia] pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are” after U.S. intelligence said in a report that they assessed that MBS “approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”

This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

A new poll surveying Florida residents has found that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would trounce former President Donald Trump in a 2024 Republican Party presidential primary.

The poll, conducted late last week by Sachs Media, found that DeSantis beats Trump by a whopping 45 points, 66% to 21%.

The poll from Sachs Media, whose polls correctly showed DeSantis winning re-election by double digits, found that respondents “trust” DeSantis “more” than Trump to “be a good role model for young people,” 89% to 4%, “have a moral foundation for choices,” 81% to 12%, “unite voters around a common cause,” 76% to 19%, and “be respected by other world leaders,” 68% to 26%.

2024 Florida Republican Primary Poll:

Ron DeSantis — 66% (+45)
Donald Trump — 21%@SachsMediaGrp | 600 LV | 11/11https://t.co/Bl1bAWFXz4 pic.twitter.com/MSZsHLvrIF

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) November 18, 2022

The poll comes as another new poll released this week by The Economist/YouGov found that Republican voters want DeSantis over Trump, 46% to 39%, and Independent voters also want DeSantis over Trump, 34% to 21%. For all voters, DeSantis had a 15-point lead over the former president, 43% to 28%.

DeSantis beat Trump in every demographic that the poll measured except among Hispanic voters, as the two candidates were tied 37% to 37%.

DeSantis beat Trump in the following demographics: Men (+6%), women (+20%), whites (+15%), blacks (+17%), 18-29 year olds (+12%), 30-44 year olds (+1%), 45-64 year olds (+18%), 65+ year olds (+19%), income