Earlier this week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched an attack on his own people, using chemical weapons that resulted in the deaths of close to 100 innocent civilians. In response, President Donald Trump launched nearly 60 tomahawk cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria, and seem pleased with the results.
Trump on Twitter
The ongoing civil war in Syria has become one of the most complex foreign entanglements in recent memory. With terrorist organizations like the Islamic State (ISIS) and other rebel groups on the ground, the Syrian government has waged a war which has also targeted civilians who have been caught in the cross-hairs.
The United States has been reluctant to intervene due to Syria being backed by both Russia and Iran, two countries the U.S. has done their best to avoid. During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump said he would create a different kind of foreign policy which would pull back the U.S. from being the world's police. This rhetoric resulted in populist support for the billionaire real estate mogul, leading to his election last November. However, after Trump decided to retaliate and attack a Syrian airbase last Thursday, even some of his strongest supporters decided to speak out. As seen on his Twitter account on April 8, the president is finding ways to gloat and defend his actions.
The reason you don't generally hit runways is that they are easy and inexpensive to quickly fix (fill in and top)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2017
Taking to his Twitter feed on Saturday afternoon, Donald Trump did his best to brag and defend his decision to strike the airbase.
"The reason you don't generally hit runways is that they are easy and inexpensive to quickly fix," Trump tweeted out, before adding, "(fill in and top)!" Trump's tweet appears to be the president being pleased that he hit the airbase, highlighting that it won't cost Syria much to fix it but did enough damage to send a message.
Twitter reacts
Within moments of his tweet, Donald Trump was quickly mocked and trolled across social media. "Isn't it a bit weird that you phoned Russia before the attack (who is allies with Assad) before notifying Congress? Just saying!," entrepreneur William LeGate tweeted out. In a follow-up tweet, LeGate also added, That's the best excuse you got?
You completely missed the runway & hit nonoperational planes after warning Russia of your 'attack.'"
@realDonaldTrump You CLAIM everything to be EASY, yet you continue to FAIL on a daily basis.
— Tommy Campbell (@MrTommyCampbell) April 8, 2017
@realDonaldTrump So you're saying this was an unnecessary attack used to distract from your ongoing investigation?
— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) April 8, 2017
@realDonaldTrump @Scavino45 Also, isn't it a bit weird that you phoned Russia before the attack (who is allies with Assad) before notifying Congress? Just saying!
— William LeGate (@williamlegate) April 8, 2017
"That makes sense. So now it looks like you 'oppose' Putin, without much collateral damage. I mean, you don't care abt human lives anyway," writer and producer Jules Suzdaltsev pointed out on Twitter.
"You CLAIM everything to be EASY, yet you continue to FAIL on a daily basis," actor Tommy Campbell tweeted out. As the backlash continues from Donald Trump's tweet, it's become obvious that the issue over Syria is far from over.
