Blumenthal Criticizes Trump's Tweeted Warning to Russia

By posting a tweet warning Russia about missiles coming to Syria, President Donald Trump did "exactly what he criticized other presidents doing about giving our adversaries a warning and that's unnecessary and unwise," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Wednesday.

Blumenthal also conceded on CNN's "New Day" there must be a military response to the suspected chemical attack in Syria last weekend.

"It should be part of a total strategy, which seems to be completely lacking here, and it should involve our allies and our partners in the region," Blumenthal said. "This apparently impulsive one-off strike is lacking in strategy, and I think it has to be supplemented by a real commitment to the region and outreach diplomatically to other countries there to join us in rebuilding Syria."

Blumenthal said it is difficult for the public to know what Trump's tweet really means.

"There are more unknowns, more unanswered questions than there are facts, and that is unsettling to our allies and to the countries that depend on us, including Israel," he said. "The troubling factor here is that this strike, if it comes, is lacking in an overall strategy that is made known, articulated clearly, and part of a longer term plan for replacing Assad, a war criminal, for engaging Russia in some rebuilding effort which has to stabilize the region and we need a longer term outlook."

Further, Blumenthal said Congress should be called on to renew its authorization for military force if Trump plans missile launches, and Congress must be engaged in giving explicit approval.

"First, as to the military strike, let's be very blunt: Bashar Assad is a war criminal who is murderously and brutally killing his own people through the use of chemical weapons that are barred by international law," Blumenthal said. "They're also barred by our agreement with the Russians."

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