On Thursday night, the United States launched airstrikes against a Syrian airbase in response to bombing and chemical weapons being deployed on Syrian civilians in Idlib, killing at least 74 and injuring over 500 people. Many of the victims were young children.
“No child of God should ever suffer such horror,” President Trump said in a statement to the press on Thursday. “Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched.”
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Trump continued. “It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention, and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council. Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically.”
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and John McCain (R-AZ) praised President Trump’s actions following news of the airstrikes. In their eyes, it was the right thing to do, despite Trump’s many reservations of attacking Syria both before and during his presidential run.
However, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is standing firm in his position about military intervention in Syria, condemning the airstrikes. On Twitter, Paul said Trump has violated the U.S. Constitution and must go through Congress to get authorization.
While we all condemn the atrocities in Syria, the United States was not attacked.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 7, 2017
The President needs Congressional authorization for military action as required by the Constitution.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 7, 2017
Our prior interventions in this region have done nothing to make us safer and Syria will be no different.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 7, 2017
Paul even quoted one of Trump’s tweets from 2013 to illustrate his point.
This remains true today as it was in 2013. Both parts. https://t.co/sRQkcZ0oDI
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 6, 2017
Even Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) blasted the airstrikes in Syria, tweeting “#bigmistake.”
#bigmistake pic.twitter.com/u3xFXrTR6m
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 7, 2017
