Trump joins lineage of US presidents utilizing American military might

Christina Gregg
Updated

After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad allegedly used chemical weapons in a deadly attack on men, women and children in the rebel-held Idlib province, President Trump ordered retaliatory air strikes on Thursday -- marking one of the more pivotal military actions for the commander in chief since taking office.

With his decision to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Shayat Airfield, Trump asserted his joining a lineage of American presidents utilizing the force of American military might.

"Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children," Trump said in remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after the attack. "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's airstrike decision technically wasn't his first military move (Trump approved a raid in Yemen that took the life of a US Navy SEAL and dozens of civilians), but it is certainly noteworthy after he changed his position on intervention in Syria.

Former President Barack Obama first took military action in February of 2009, when he announced that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan would increase with 17,000 new troops. A few days later, he made another military announcement, promising an end to the war in Iraq by August of 2010. Obama later made a speech in December of 2011 (one year later than promised) declaring the end to the war.

Perhaps the most memorable military moment of Obama's presidency, though, came May 2, 2011, when the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden -- officially named "Operation Neptune Spear" -- was deemed mission accomplished.

Click through to see major military moves of American presidents throughout history:

While Article II of the American constitution grants the president military privilege as commander in chief, Article I grants Congress the power to "provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions." The line on what kind of military actions fall under a president's realm of power, versus that of Congress, is murky. As Charlie Savage writes for the New York Times, there is a clear split between "the apparent intent of the Constitution and how the country has been governed in practice.

Savage explains this, saying:

"Most legal scholars agree that the founders wanted Congress to decide whether to go to war, except when the country is under an attack. But presidents of both parties have a long history of carrying out military operations without authorization from Congress, especially since the end of World War II, when the United States maintained a large standing army instead of demobilizing."

Trump addressed Congress in a letter after his decision to launch airstrikes on Syria, saying he "acted in the vital national security and foreign policy interests of the United States."

As president, George W. Bush ordered America's entering into a war with Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 -- after the 9/11 terrorist attacks rocked the United States. Throughout the course of his two full terms, Bush would oversee the escalation of wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Each president has a unique experience when it comes to addressing the role military action plays with respect to national security and foreign policy, and only time will tell how President Trump will wield the power of America's armed forces.

RELATED: Launch and impact of US airstrikes in Syria

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