--- 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: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=f726ade6-d16d-4bd0-98fb-4ab701268b79&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  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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