White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday afternoon that President Trump still has not decided on a response to Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
“President Trump just finished a meeting with his National Security team to discuss the situation in Syria. No final decision has been made,” Sanders said in a statement.
“We are continuing to asses intelligence and are engaged in conversations with our partners and allies,” she said. “The president will speak with President [Emmanuel] Macron and Prime Minister [Theresa] May this evening.”
The statement did not identify the officials with whom Trump met.
Although Trump tweeted Wednesday that missiles “will be coming,” he appeared to soften his tone Thursday, writing on Twitter, “Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday morning the U.S. is still waiting to see the evidence of a chemical attack in Douma, the final rebel-held Damascus suburb, where about 40 people died on April 7.
Trump bombed Syria’s government once before in response to an alleged chemical attack. But Mattis said in February that “we do not have evidence” that Syria’s government actually used sarin gas in April 2017 — the stated reason Trump bombed an airbase with 59 Tomahawk missiles.
