When President Trump unilaterally decided to fire at 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Syrian airfield responsible for the alleged chemical gas attack in Kahn Shiekhoun, Syria, the strike cost about $60 million, and was more of a political statement than anything else (considering that Syrian jets took off from Shayrat Airbase hours after the strike).Even more concerning than Trump’s unilateral actions is the alleged story behind it: President Trump claims that he ordered the attack after his daughter Ivanka saw children being hosed down on TV.

To be sure, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime is responsible for the attack, and the use of sarin gas against civilians is inhumane and unforgivable. However, Trump waited less than a week to launch his counterattack, and it is somewhat concerning that Trump made policy or took action based only off footage on TV. This is also a stark departure from his previous stances on foreign policy, stating that the Middle East needs a strong leader and that the United States “cannot be the policemen of the world”.

Trump’s base is split and up in arms, and I can’t say that I blame them. One side is saying that Assad must be reeled in for what he did (which I do not disagree with) and the other says that we should not be wantonly joining conflicts abroad (which I also agree with). I’ve even seen former Trump hardliners, like Ann Coulter and Mike Cernovich, turn on him, amongst concerned that Trump is Bush 2.0 or a “neocon” (neoconservative).

Trump’s actions, however, are not as unacceptable as they may seem. To be sure, he went about the strike the wrong way, but the strike was justified. How many times have the United States, or the western world in general, turned a blind eye to atrocities taking place abroad? History will judge us according to our actions, and we cannot afford to stand idly by while the Assad regime massacres civilians with chemical weapons.

Trump turned his back on his promise of “America First” and non-interventionism in the Middle East. Although his actions would be justified if he had spent more time consulting others on the issue and had congressional backing (which is not an unreasonable request considering the Republican majorities in both houses), he went about it in the totally wrong way. Regardless of our political leanings, Trump supporters or not we must continue to remain vigilant against any future strikes before prior authorization.