Last Thursday, President Donald Trump ordered the firing of more than 50 cruise missiles in a swift retaliation against the sarin gas attacks ordered by President Bashar al-Assad that resulted in the deaths of more than 80 of his own people. Trump utilized his authority as Commander-in-Chief to strike without Congressional involvement, a decision which received bipartisan approval. Fourth District Congressman, Steve King, says as Chairman of the Constitution Committee, it is his obligation to pay attention to these types of situations, the outlines for which were drafted by our founders to ensure an effective chain of command.
With the military and weapons advancements of allies and enemies around the world, King says it has become increasingly more important that the President remains free to command at will.
King believes the President had full Constitutional authority to order the attack on Syrian soil, but the rationale is something he wants the American people to understand.
Donald Trump is in the first 100 days of his presidency, and according to King, is facing a global mess. He pointed out that if Trump tolerated the gas attacks on the Syrian people, simply issuing another warning, it would be normalized for Assad, or anybody else on the planet, to use gas on their enemies or their own people.
This may already be a test of Trump, where he becomes Presidential in the eyes of Americans, King says, and he believes the videos and the pictures of those people who were gassed to death affected Trump in a way that he felt the responsibility of being the Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world.
