In response to a chemical attack against a northern rebel-controlled area in Syria, President Donald Trump ordered on April 7 a military strike against a Syrian airbase, which was the first direct military action U.S. took against Syria during their civil war.
According to the Washington Post, Trump was “moved” to action after seeing graphic pictures of Syrian children suffering the results of the chemical attack. Eric Trump said that his father’s decision was influenced by his sister Ivanka’s reaction to the chemical attack, according to NBC News. His decision, and his justification for it, both contradict his previous position on military intervention in Syria and beg the question of why he was not “moved” by the plight of Syrians when he refused to let refugees into the United States.
Trump said that the airstrike was necessary to prompt Syria to stop using chemical weapons on its people, according to CNN. However, back in 2013, Trump was vocal in his opposition to military actions against Syria.
“AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA – IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!” Trump wrote in a tweet on Sept. 5, 2013, in all caps.
Trump apparently was not moved by the suffering of Syrians before. Briefers should have “moved” the president – or found a way to incite empathy – to the plight of Syrians when he pushed the infamous “Muslim ban.”
Apparently, he wasn’t moved enough by the pain of Syrians to understand that he was preventing refugees from seeking asylum in his country.
If President Trump is as “moved” as he says he is about the suffering of Syrians, he should welcome in refugees trying to escape terrorism and government-committed war crimes. Then again, perhaps he just wasn’t shown enough pictures yet.
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.