ANALYSIS: 5 political takeaways after the Syria strike
A political look at Trump's quick decision to strike Assad's military.
— -- Last night, President Donald Trump made a surprising decision to conduct U.S. military strikes against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the first time in the course of Syria's devastating, 6-year civil war.
It was a retaliation, Trump said, for the deadly chemical attack carried out on Tuesday that killed at least 86 people, including dozens of women and children.
"It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago retreat after the 59 Tomahawk missiles struck a Syrian air base, from which those chemical attacks were launched.
The move was applauded by some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but criticized by others for not seeking congressional authorization.
Here are some of the political takeaways from Trump's decision to strike Syria: