In reaction to a gas attack that killed scores of people in the Syrian rebel-held province of Idlib, President Trump released a statement blaming former president Barack Obama for the incident, specifically for doing “nothing” against Bashar al-Assad’s regime even after it used chemical weapons.
An incredible written statement from a sitting US president pic.twitter.com/lFDTANyDCT
— Jon Passantino (@passantino) April 4, 2017
Trump, of course, has talked about the Syrian regime as a potential ally and adamantly opposed U.S. intervention in the conflict:
President Obama's weakness and indecision may have saved us from doing a horrible and very costly (in more ways than money) attack on Syria!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2013
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013
That’s not all.
Trump, who has played golf nearly every week since his inauguration, also attacked Obama for golfing while countries in the Middle East “burn”:
"@RayHeard: @realDonaldTrump @bat211 @capetown58 Meanwhile, he's on the golf course as Egypt, Syria, Iraq burn.What else is new?"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2013
He suggested that Obama could bring down the Syrian government by giving them universal health care:
If Syria was forced to use Obamacare they would self-destruct without a shot being fired. Obama should sell them that idea!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2013
And also suggested that while Obama weighed his options regarding Syria, he should carry out a sneak attack on Iran instead:
While everyone is waiting and prepared for us to attack Syria, maybe we should knock the hell out of Iran and their nuclear capabilities?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013
Another suggestion: If we go into Syria, take the oil!
We should have gotten more of the oil in Syria, and we should have gotten more of the oil in Iraq. Dumb leaders.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2012
Trump also pushed the false claim that the Obama administration was arming ISIS:
So Obama wants to bomb ISIS in Iraq & arm them in Syria? What is he doing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2014
But here’s an idea that, now that he is president, Trump did not take to heart.
If Obama attacks Syria and innocent civilians are hurt and killed, he and the U.S. will look very bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013
