It Just Got Worse: Trump Administration Wants to Remove Assad From Power

Syrian President Bashar Assad 

The Trump administration signaled this afternoon that it seeks to remove Bashar Assad from power in Syria.

President Donald Trump told reporters that "something should happen" with the Syrian president following a chemical attack in the country, which left dozens dead, including children.

In a separate news conference this afternoon, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Assad's actions suggest "it would seem there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people."

Russia, on the other hand, is calling for an international investigation of the chemical incident. Russia's foreign minister has suggested that a Syrian plane may have bombed a rebel-held location where chemical weapons were stored rather than the Syrian government launching a deliberate chemical attack.

In addition to new indications from the Trump administration that Assad needs to be removed, it appears Trump is planning an immediate military response against Syria.

Defense Secretary James Mattis will brief Trump at Mar-a-Lago on military options later this evening, NBC News reports.

-RW