White House walks thin line on support for Syrian regime change

As pressure builds on the Trump administration to articulate a clear strategy for U.S. involvement in Syria, White House officials have attempted to straddle the line between supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s removal and opposing the commitment of American military forces to his ouster.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Defense Secretary James Mattis, White House press secretary Sean Spicer and other administration officials have each tried their hand at explaining the new U.S. posture toward Syria in the four days since President Trump ordered a missile strike on an airfield controlled by the Assad regime.