WASHINGTON — President Trump condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapon attack in northwestern Syria this week that killed at least 70 people, but stopped short of promising any U.S. military response to the action.

"What happened yesterday is unacceptable to me," Trump said in a White House press conference Wednesday afternoon. "But one of the things you've noticed about me is that, militarily, I don't like to say where I'm going and what I'm doing.

"I watched past administrations say, 'We will attack at such-and-such a day, at such-and-such an hour,' and you, being a warrior, you would say, 'Why are they saying that?' … Then a month goes by and they said, 'We will be attacking in three months, and then two months, and then we will be attacking next week.' Why were they doing that?

"I'm not saying I'm doing anything one way or another, but I'm certainly not going to be telling (the media)."

Earlier in the day, Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, indicated the Trump administration may take action against Assad, and pushed for a United Nations resolution threatening consequences for the use of chemical weapons.

In a press conference with Jordan King Abdullah Il, Trump echoed that outrage but would not directly answer questions about possible military intervention. He did criticize former President Obama for failing move ahead with military strikes in past years following other chemical weapons usage by Assad’s forces.

The United States already has more than 500 troops working in Syria, but in missions to combat the Islamic State group, not Assad’s forces. In the past, Trump has indicated he might be willing to work with Assad and his Russian partners in the region on the fight against ISIS

But Trump said his opinion of the Syrian leader has forced him to rethink his past opinions on Assad.

"That attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me," he said. "A big impact. That was a horrible, horrible thing. I’ve been watching it and seeing it, and it doesn’t get any worse than that."

Syria has been divided by a civil war for the last six years, resulting in the deaths of more than 400,000, according to human rights groups. United Nations officials estimate that more than 4 million refugees have fled fighting in the region, creating a host of immigration challenges for countries across the globe.

Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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