U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn praised President Trump’s decision to launch an airstrike on Syria following this week’s chemical weapons attack on civilians.
The Tomahawk missile attack was directed at the Shayrat Airbase, located 60 miles south of Damascus.
“It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons,” said President Trump.
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Rep. Blackburn stopped by NewsChannel 5 Friday for an appearance on "Inside Politics" and weighed in on Thursday’s surprise attack.
“[Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad, in my opinion, is a war criminal and certainly I think the action that President Trump took is the appropriate action,” Blackburn said.
The chemical weapons attack earlier this week killed at least 80, according to various international groups, some of whom were children.
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin denounced the U.S. strike as an "act of aggression."
** CNN contributed to this report.
