U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a missile strike against Syrian government military targets in the early hours of Friday.
American warships launched nearly 60 missiles at a Syrian airbase that allegedly carried out a chemical attack earlier this week, leaving dozens dead. According to a report by CNN, six people were killed by the U.S. strikes.
Many see Trump's decision to attack the Syrian government as an abrupt U-turn. Just this week, Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer said: "With respect to Assad, there is a political reality that we have to accept."
Throughout the course of the Syrian conflict and his election campaign, Trump expressed similar sentiments. He routinely criticized the Obama administration's anti-Assad policies.
After images and videos of this week's chemical attack surfaced, the U.S. president said his perspective had changed. Trump didn't have a problem with Assad's government killing thousands with bombs and bullets. But when the Syrian military allegedly killed dozens with poison gas, that was too far, apparently.
Just so nobody forgets, we compiled a list of times Trump tweeted his firm position that the U.S. should not attack Syria.
1. When he stated his position quite clearly
2. When he explained why it was a bad idea
3. When he 'cheered' the fact that Obama didn't attack Syria ...
4. When he questioned the logic of attacking Syria
Note: Trump did not seek congressional approval before attacking Syria.
5. When he attacked Syrian rebels
6. When he said fixing the U.S. is more important than Syria
7. When he REALLY wanted Obama to know his opinion
8. When he said attacking Syria offered no benefits to the U.S.
9. And when he compared attacking Syria to the invasion of Iraq
While Donald Trump said the images of dead Syrian babies and other innocent civilians changed his perspective on Assad's leadership, he has yet to acknowledge U.S. airstrikes that left nearly 300 civilians dead in Iraq in March.