On Thursday evening, Trump did what he had repeatedly urged his predecessor Obama not to do: Bomb Syria. The decision which marked an 180-degree turn in his foreign policy regarding Syria threw his far-right supporters into a state a shock.
Trump’s Supporters Turn on Him
Moments after the attack, these supporters were the most vocal in criticizing the president’s actions. Most of them were upset at Trump breaking his campaign promise of keeping the U.S. out of another Middle East conflict.
Far-right journalists and bloggers blasted Trump for betraying his voters by ordering an attack that he had used to view as a “terrible idea” for years. They also slammed him for not asking Congress’ approval before giving the green light to the missile attack on Thursday. In 2013, he told Obama that conducting military intervention in the region without Congress’ approval would be a “big mistake.”
Infowars editor Paul Joseph Watson wrote on Twitter about his disappointment with Trump who in his opinion, is “just another deep state/neocon puppet.” He added that he is “officially off the Trump train.”
The man who coined the term “alt-right,” Richard Spencer disagreed with the attack and proposed a presidential candidate for 2020: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D. -Hawaii). Gabbard, who had met with Syria President Assad in January, described the recent attack as “reckless” and “shortsighted.”
Some Supporters are Divided over Syria
Trump’s followers with pro-Russian views were divided on the issue. Some said the military action crossed a line, while others praised Trump for his quick reaction to Assad’s chemical attack on his own people on Tuesday.
Conservative commentator Laura Ingraham underlined that the surprise attack would provide plenty of ammunition to three of Trump’s most ardent critics: Sens John McCain and Marc Rubio, along with his former Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.
Missiles flying. Rubio’s happy. McCain ecstatic. Hillary’s on board. A complete policy change in 48 hrs.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 7, 2017
Conservative commenter Hugh Hewitt thinks Trump brought justice for the children killed in the chemical attack. Mark Levin joined the chorus and said he was proud of the president.
Trump’s dedicated campaign supporters became divided over the Syria issue on Wednesday when Trump said the Syrian government staged chemical attack changed his view on the country and its leader. Trump’s remarks hinted at an abrupt change in White House policy and his stance on the campaign trail.
Some in the far-right peddled the theory that the chemical weapons attack was a hoax staged by terror groups backed by the so-called “deep state,” which the alt-right believes is a secret network of government officials working tirelessly to drag the country into a war.
Hours before the attack, far-right blogger Mike Cernovich warned his followers in a live video that Trump was about to bomb Syria. He urged Trump’s fans to remind him who voted for him. “We got to stop him,” Cernovich added.
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