President Donald Trump on Thursday attempted to cloud the timing of potential airstrikes on Syria, a day after indicating they were imminent.
“Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!,” the President tweeted. The message notably did not rule out plans to attack Syria in retaliation for the weekend’s suspected chemical attack on civilians at the hands of the Assad regime.
Trump on Wednesday vowed to thwart Russia’s missile defense system in Syria, warning that missiles “will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart.'” The President, however, did not refer to the attack’s timing.
But in tweeting about the forthcoming attack, Trump appeared to publicly telegraph military plans — something for which he heavily criticized former President Barack Obama back in 2013.
Trump on Thursday also suggested he did not get enough credit for US gains against ISIS in the region.
“In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS,” the President wrote in the same tweet. “Where is our ‘Thank you America?'”