Before President Donald Trump's order for strikes on a Syrian air base in retaliation for a deadly chemical attack earlier this week, "all we've seen in Syria is weakness," Sen. John Cornyn said Friday.
"Weakness is a provocation and strength is a deterrence," said the Texas Republican, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program.
"Of course we've seen [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Iran and President [Bashar al] Assad fill that space," Cornyn said. "In the meantime, 400,000 civilians are dead and Assad continues to use chemical weapons of which are internationally banned under law."
The airstrikes were "a welcome demonstration of America's commitment," said Cornyn, "but what comes next will be harder.
"One of the finest generals in American life, David Petraeus, said, anytime an armed conflict the most important question is, 'How does this end?'" said the senator. "I look forward to the president's sending the appropriate notice and consultation with Congress so we come up with a unified strategy to defeat and replace Assad."
Critics are saying Thursday's strikes violated international law, but Cornyn said he does not feel there were any alternatives but to act unilaterally after China and Russia both vetoed attempts to take matters through the United Nations.
The airstrikes were also significant because they are the "first concrete demonstration" of what Trump's foreign policy will be, the senator commented.
"For the last eight years we've seen President [Barack] Obama drawing us back, withdrawing from the international stage," said Cornyn. "My experience is that the international community craves and really wants American leadership. But when American recedes off the international stage, it really does empower people like Putin, Assad, and theocrats in Iran, and the world's a more dangerous place as a result."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.