White House says missile strikes in Syria were part of ‘America First’ strategy

The White House said Monday that President Trump’s decision to strike Syria with missiles was consistent with his “America First” view of foreign policy.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer also said the U.S. would “consider” more such strikes if Syrian President Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons again.

“If those actions were to continue, further action would be considered by the United States,” Mr. Spicer said.

Russia, an ally of Syria, has warned the U.S. not to take any further military action against Mr. Assad’s forces. The U.S. fired 59 Tomahawk missiles last week against an air base in Syria that was used to launch a chemical-weapons attack against civilians opposed to the Syrian government.

Some Trump supporters have criticized his action as contrary to his campaign promise to stay out of foreign conflicts.

Mr. Trump’s spokesman said the use of weapons of mass destruction in Syria poses a threat to the United States because the weapons could fall into the hands of the Islamic State.

“We’re going to make sure that our national interests are protected,” Mr. Spicer said. “We’re not just going to become the world’s policeman. The proliferation and the spread [of WMD] to other groups is a clear danger to our country. We’ve got to contain that.”

He said the Islamic State is “the number one threat that America faces” in the region.

Mr. Spicer also said weakening Mr. Assad’s regime will help in “creating an environment necessary for the Syrian people to have a new leadership there.”

“By us taking action and de-escalating what’s going on in Syria, that’s the greatest thing you can do to support” the Syrian people, he said.