Yesterday we wondered aloud what President Trump’s red line in Syria might mean in the coming days in terms of possible military action.
Last night, Trump answered that question in a most decisive way, creating the clearest contrast so far between his administration and that of the passive, community organizing administration of Barack Obama.
In firing missiles at Syrian airbases to take out the launching points for deadly nerve gas, Trump sent a stark message to the world: we’re back and we’re not messing around.
Here’s more from Breitbart…
President Trump has ordered cruise missile strikes against a Syrian regime military airbase, a defense official said late Thursday.
A U.S. official said “more than 50” Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at the airbase, located in Western Syria. That base, called Shayrat, was where the U.S. believes the Assad regime carried out a chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians this week that killed at least 70 people.
The strikes were carried out from two U.S. destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea, the official said. The attack occurred between 8 and 9 p.m. ET, according to CNN.
Trump had hinted on Wednesday that he would take action against the chemical weapons attack during a Rose Garden briefing with the King of Jordan.
The U.S. military has not yet completed a battle damage assessment, the official said.
He said the attack had crossed “many, many lines, beyond a red line — many, many lines.”
“That attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me. Big impact,” Trump had said. “That was a horrible, horrible thing, and I’ve been watching it and seeing it, and it doesn’t get any worse than that.”
It was reported earlier in the day that Trump was considering military options against the Syrian regime.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) called on the president to come to Congress to obtain congressional authorization for military action in Syria.
“While we all condemn the atrocities in Syria, the US was not attacked,” he said in a statement.
“The President needs congressional authorization for military action and I call on him to come to Congress for a proper debate on our role. Our prior interventions in this region have done nothing to make us safer and Syria will be no different. – Senator Rand Paul
Meanwhile, Republican defense hawks praised the airstrikes.
“Unlike the previous administration, President Trump confronted a pivotal moment in Syria and took action,” said Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“I think it was an important step,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said on CNN. “This was not some symbolic measure.”
