President Donald Trump is sensitive about the wellbeing of Syrian refugees, but must also keep the needs of Americans in the foreground, according to Anthony Scaramucci, an analyst and former member of the Trump transition team.
Trump is a "super compassionate man," Scaramucci said Friday on CNN's "New Day."
The president's actions are "pragmatic," Scaramucci said, and Syria's attack caused him to change focus in order to make a statement. "He had to adapt the play… he can change tactics. You and I both know very smart people will change when facts change."
"I think the president will probably push further," if the Syrians continue activities such as the gas attack, said Scaramucci, who may soon join Trump's administration.
"He now knows what he would be sending them home to," host Chris Cuomo said, when questioning whether the president is planning to change his position on returning refugees to Syria.
"We still have to think about a process of trying to create peace there and allowing the Syrian people, to the extent they want to, to live in Syria. What the president is concerned about, as it relates to any refugee from hostile actors to the United States is harm to the American people," Scaramucci said.
The president's supporters believe he did the right thing, Scaramucci said.
"I think the people that voted for him trust him … the American people are waking up this morning satisfied in their president, saying we have a guy here that has the Ronald Reagan-like muscle."
Scaramucci believes that Russia understands why the U.S. had to take action against Syria.
"They knew the United States was pinned in here and had to do something, particularly after what happened in 2013," he said, referring to the deal President Barack Obama and Russia made for a chemical weapons ban on Syria, which Syria apparently did not abide.
"My guess is that this will not distort our relationship with Russia, and I think it sends a message about who President Trump is. He's a moral man. He's a decisive person, and he's the kind of person you don't really want to scrum with," Scaramucci said.
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