--- title: Donald Trump on Syria: 'I Guess Something Should Happen' description: President Trump provided a hint into his plans regarding Syria and President Bashar al-Assad after a chemical attack killed dozens canonical: https://time.com/4729704/donald-trump-syria-bashar-al-assad-chemical-attack/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-06T19:40:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:16:33.096Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Trump on Syria: 'I Guess Something Should Happen' og:description: A chemical attack in Syria killed dozens og:url: https://time.com/4729704/donald-trump-syria-bashar-al-assad-chemical-attack/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7975b58298b63d94/6988c1c57cdbac3849d57c47/donald-trump-syria-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3063 og:image:height: 1723 og:image:alt: Trump Holds Joint Press Conf. With King Abdullah II Of Jordan At White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump on Syria: 'I Guess Something Should Happen' twitter:description: A chemical attack in Syria killed dozens twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7975b58298b63d94/6988c1c57cdbac3849d57c47/donald-trump-syria-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump on Syria: 'I Guess Something Should Happen' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Apr 6, 2017 7:40 PM UTC  U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the Rose Garden of the White House April 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump held talks on Middle East peace process and other bilateral issues with King Abdullah II. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the Rose Garden of the White House April 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump held talks on Middle East peace process and other bilateral issues with King Abdullah II. Mark Wilson—Getty Images  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Apr 6, 2017 7:40 PM UTC [President Trump](http://time.com/4724135/donald-trump-tweets-retweets-didnt-age-well/) provided a slight hint into his plans regarding Syria and the country’s President Bashar al-Assad Thursday after a chemical attack left dozens dead, indicating that “something” should happen, although he declined to provide any specifics. “I think what happened in [Syria](http://time.com/4729664/syria-chemical-attack-bashar-assad/) is a disgrace to humanity, and he \[Assad’s\] there, and I guess he’s running things, so I guess something should happen,” Trump told reporters on the flight to Mar-A-Lago, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, Trump cautioned reporters, as he did in a press conference with [Jordan’s President King Abdullah](http://time.com/3727926/isis-jordan-king-abdullah/) Wednesday, that he won’t necessarily publicize actions against Syria if he decides to take any. “I don’t want to say what I’m going to be doing with respect to Syria,” he told reporters. The [chemical attack](http://time.com/4726995/syria-chemical-attack-death-toll/) that took place Tuesday in Syria has killed [over 70 people](http://time.com/4725141/syria-chemical-attack-idlib-deadly/?iid=sr-link1). Although Bashar Assad’s Syrian government has denied any responsibility, the Trump Administration said it was holding them accountable. Trump also did not respond to questions about whether Assad should step down, only noting that what he did was “terrible.” “What happened in Syria is truly one of the egregious crimes and it shouldn’t have happened. 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