Kentucky Senator Rand Paul admonished President Donald Trump, whose former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was paid by Turkey while briefing Trump, for approving a missile strike on Syria that took place on Thursday evening. The President ordered the attack in response to Syria's usage of nerve gas and chemical weapons against its citizens. The Administration approved the launching of 59 Tomahawk missiles against the rogue country which is led by the ruthless dictator Bashar al-Assad. In its unprecedented chemical attack on its people, over 100 civilians died, many of them were children.

A slow death

In his address to the nation after the U.S. air strike on Syria, President Trump stated that the deaths sustained by the chemical weapons attack victims were slow, painful and agonizing. Trump discussed the necessity of the attack, which was also supported by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in order to stabilize the region and prevent a recurrence of the attack at a later date.

Attack not in self-defense

California Congressman Adam Schiff, (D), stated that Congress needs to refrain from "abdicating" its responsibility to approve or disapprove military strikes or demonstrations of the use of force that are not acts of self-defense. As Schiff explained it, any military action that is not approved by Congress, except for those that are acts of self-defense, are unlawful.

Schiff called upon President Trump, whose impeachment is being demanded by the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to "come to Congress for a proper debate," according to ABC News.

AUMF Authorization

Although some members of Congress and political observers see the 2001 Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) as justifying the Trump Administration's Thursday missile strike against Syria, others, including Schiff, see the need for a new AUMF.

Congress authorized the 2001 AUMF in response to the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by Osama bin Laden and his followers. Some members of Congress have called upon their colleagues to "come back into session" and vote on a new AUMF, especially as it pertains to Syria.

Trump on Obama's AUMF request.

Donald Trump appears to have done a complete "turn-around" in his views on asking Congress for a new AUMF. In 2013, when President Barack Obama asked for a new AUMF for air strikes against Syria, Trump tweeted his opposition to such. In his 2013 tweet, Trump expressed his belief that bombing Syria only would lead to a long, protracted war.