President Donald Trump targets Assad, Putin, Obama in tweets

President Donald Trump warned Sunday of a “Big price” to be paid for a deadly chemical attack in Syria, blaming in part Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran for backing Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom Trump derided as “Animal Assad.”

“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” Trump tweeted early Sunday morning, hours after reports emerged of a suspected chemical weapons attack on the rebel-occupied suburb of Douma that left dozens dead.

“Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad,” Trump tweeted. “Big price . . . to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!”

Medical and rescue groups have blamed Assad’s government for the attacks that took place Saturday, according to published reports that put the death toll at about 40. Photographs purportedly from Douma showed the bodies of children who died as a result of the suspected use of chemical weapons.

When asked on ABC’s “This Week” whether the United States would respond with a military attack, White House homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert said: “I wouldn’t take anything off the table.”

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that the Trump administration was “closely monitoring” the attack and condemned “in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children.”

He added, “The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior. As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible!”

Late Saturday night, the State Department issued a statement calling on Russia to end its support for the regime of Assad, who has denied any role in the attacks.

“The United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Russia’s foreign ministry in a statement cast reports pegging the attack on Assad as “false” and “fabricated” and warned of “serious consequences” for any retaliatory military action.

“It is necessary to warn, once again, that military intervention under such invented and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where Russian servicemen are based at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to very serious consequences,” the foreign ministry said.

Meanwhile, several U.S. lawmakers called on Trump to act decisively against Syria, criticizing him for coming out last week in support of withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. Trump, in remarks to reporters, said, “I want to get out,” saying that ISIS strongholds have largely been vanquished. His comments came even as his top national security advisers warned that the mission in the conflict-torn nation was far from complete.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a statement said Assad and his supporters were “emboldened” by Trump’s talk of withdrawal.

“President Trump last week signaled to the world that the United States would prematurely withdraw from Syria,” McCain said. “Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers have heard him, and emboldened by American inaction, Assad has reportedly launched another chemical attack against innocent men, women and children.”

McCain, noting that Trump ordered an airstrike last year against a Syrian air base in response to a chemical attack that killed dozens of children, urged him to take similar action over Saturday’s attack, and “demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” called on Trump to follow through on his tweet against Assad.

“If it becomes a tweet without meaning . . . he’s going to look weak,” Graham said of Trump.

Trump also tweeted choice words for former President Barack Obama’s actions on Syria.

“If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!” Trump tweeted Sunday.

Obama in 2012 called the use of chemical weapons in Syria, a “red line” that would prompt a military response. In 2013, the United States and its allies accused Assad of executing a chemical weapons attack, but instead of a military response the United States and Russia announced a deal aimed at eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com,scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler,

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.