Before he was president, Donald Trump wrote that the U.S. should not bomb Syria in a number of tweets from 2013 to 2014.
As the White House ordered strikes on Syria late Thursday, several of those old tweets were recirculating on Twitter, especially two in which he called for congressional approval before launching any military actions against the Middle Eastern country.
Following the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons on his own people, killing more than 80, Trump announced Thursday’s attack in an official statement.
“Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically. As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilize, threatening the United States and its allies.”
His stance on U.S. Syria policy under then President Obama dates back to 2013 when Trump began repeatedly criticizing the potential for American involvement.
Below see Trump’s past positions that began to resurface as Trump hinted at military action on Thursday.
June 16, 2013
Aug. 28, 2013
Aug. 29, 2013
Sept. 5, 2013
Sept. 6, 2013
Sept. 7, 2013
Sept. 9, 2013
Sept. 11, 2013
Sept. 13, 2013
Sept. 12, 2014
Sept. 17, 2014
Sept. 20, 2014
This isn’t the first time that Trump’s past tweets have complicated things for the president. Here are 19 tweets that came back to haunt President Trump.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com