President Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday about the “nice and new and ‘smart’” missiles that would be fired in Syria while taunting Russia, making many fear that the president was playing fast-and-loose with international relations over Twitter.
Early Wednesday morning, Trump sent out several tweets in response to reports that Russia was vowing to “shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria,” where he taunted Russia, which is an ally of Bashar al-Assad‘s regime in Syria, before calling for an “arms race” to stop.
“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” the president wrote in a series of tweets, later adding: “Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?”
Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
While the Trump administration has claimed that he has been tough on Russia, many critics have said the president has not been aggressive enough with the country following the work of actors within the nation who stirred discord among American voters on social media ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump’s recent posturing over Syria comes on the heels of reports that chemical weapons were used in Syria.
In his tweets, Trump also directly contradicted his past stance on signaling military action in Syria–something he repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for doing.
In August 2013, Trump asked “why do we keep broadcasting when we are going to attack Syria?” adding “Why can’t we just be quiet and, if we attack at all, catch them by surprise?” His strategy seems to have shifted over the past few years from being “quiet” to boasting on Twitter about the United States’ “nice and new and ‘smart’” missiles that are on their way.
The president’s Wednesday morning tweets have left some people online fearing that military escalation may be on the horizon.
Get ready Russia? What kind of “leader” uses @Twitter to threaten war against a nuclear powered rival? https://t.co/zD33caKDMB
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 11, 2018
First ever missile launch announced on Twitter –> https://t.co/DMaa5jIhvo
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/984033939248549888
Really miss the good old days, when I used to wake up and NOT wonder if the president had started WWIII.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) April 11, 2018
This tweet, however, is tough guy play acting from Agent Orange.
Problem is, Russia AIN’T playing.#WednesdayWisdom https://t.co/Zn6UdqKg1a
https://twitter.com/Exasper8ed/status/984027088595378177
It’s probably not the best strategy to call for the end of an “arms race” right after telling a country to “get ready” for a barrage of missiles to be launched.
