U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Sunday praised President Trump’s decision to launch missile strikes in response to a chemical weapons attack in Syria, calling it “one of the president’s finest hours.”
“What happened this week was really one of the president’s finest hours,” Haley told host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“He wanted to know exactly what the facts and evidence was. He wanted to know what the options were, what the risks were, and the political strategy and solution side of it. After all of that he made a very, you know, strong decision and I think it was one that was very good for the world,” Haley added.
Haley also said further military options are on the table.
“If he needs to do more, he’ll do more. Really, now what happens depends on how everyone responds to what happened in Syria and make sure that we start moving toward a political solution and we start finding peace in that area,” Haley said.
Haley told Tapper that the images of innocent victims from the chemical attack crossed the line for Trump and slammed Russia for protecting the Syrian regime.
“I can tell you his focus was on the fact that innocent victims were hurt by terrible regime that was attempted to be covered up by Russia or, you know, make excuses for [Syrian President Bashar] Assad by Russia, and he said he wasn’t going put up with it,” Haley continued. “To see the images and the pictures and the horror of that act knowing it was a violation of the chemical weapons convention, knowing it was a violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions, he said, ‘This is enough, we are not going to watch this anymore.’”
During the campaign, Trump expressed concern about starting a war in Syria, saying it would lead to World War III. Haley on Sunday was asked whether the White House’s attack would result in such a war.
“Of the conversations I had this week, he knew what the risks were, he knew what the situation was, he looked at the history of the situation and he decided. I think his decision was right and I think you can see that from the international community. They all fully support it,” she told Tapper.
The U.S. believes the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on a northern Syrian town, killing dozens including children.
