function onPlayerReadyVidible(e){'undefined'!=typeof HPTrack&&HPTrack.Vid.Vidible_track(e)}!function(e,i){if(e.vdb_Player){if('object'==typeof commercial_video){var a='',o='m.fwsitesection='+commercial_video.site_and_category;if(a+=o,commercial_video['package']){var c='&m.fwkeyvalues=sponsorship%3D'+commercial_video['package'];a+=c}e.setAttribute('vdb_params',a)}i(e.vdb_Player)}else{var t=arguments.callee;setTimeout(function(){t(e,i)},0)}}(document.getElementById('vidible_1'),onPlayerReadyVidible); President Donald Trump announced the first serious military intervention of his young presidency on Thursday evening, a strike on a Syrian air baselaunched in retaliation for a horrific chemical weapons attack on civilians earlier in the week.The strike was largely symbolic, and some critics of the move saw it as little more than a slap on the wrist for Assad. And while it raised a number of questions about a possible retaliation, civilian casualties, legality, and just how comprehensive the military strategy was, there was one constituency that, by and large, approved.On cable news, Trumps decision to take action was nothing short of heroic.CNNs Fareed Zakaria said Friday morning that Donald Trump became President of the United Statesthe moment the bombs started dropping..@FareedZakaria on Syria strikes: "I think Donald Trump became President of the United States" last night https://t.co/dLipRu6SZu New Day (@NewDay) April 7, 2017 Zakaria went on to suggest that Trump had achieved this milestone by recognizing that presidents should have a broader moral and political purpose, and that the U.S. has some responsibility toenforce international norms.It remains to be seen if thats an overly generous interpretation of this particular moment.Either way, it likely makes Trump the first U.S. commander-in-chief to become presidentnot once, not twice, but three times during his first 11 weeks in office.Washington Post columnist David Ignatius was similarly excited about Trumps airstrikes.In terms of the credibility of American power, I think most traditional Washington commentators would say hes put more umph, more credibility back into it, Ignatius said on MSNBC Friday morning, arguing that former President Barack Obama had disappointed many people by failing to enforce the red line in Syria.To MSNBCs Brian Williams, the images of U.S. ships launching missiles into the night sky weredownright awe-inspiring.I am guided by the beauty of our weapons, he said on Thursday, misappropriating a line from the late singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.Brian Williams waxing lyrical about the beauty of weapons'what in the world is this' pic.twitter.com/3hoxCgCfP1 Taniel (@Taniel) April 7, 2017 Williams then riffed about thebeautiful pictures of fearsome armaments making what is, for them, a brief flight over to this airfield.On Trumps favored Fox News, Jeanine Pirro openly cheered the president.He took swift decisive action, she said. We finally have a man who knows the difference between right and wrong and good and evil and it makes us proud. Finally.Reporter Judith Miller, who somehow still gets consulted on issues of war, also went on Fox News to give her blessing.Im glad to see that President Trump has done this, she said. This is long overdue.On CNN, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen.James Marks had a hot take for anyone who might have wished pundits were taking a more sober approach to this drumming up of the U.S. war machine.This is not like Kentucky basketball one-and-done, he said Thursday, referring to the University of Kentucky mens basketball programs habit of sending players to the NBA after their freshman year. This is the start of a series of operations.Across media outlets, two driving forces of our current political system appear to be coming together in a disturbing confluence. There are few things cable news likes to cover more than the spectacle of war, and there are few things Trump likes more than the affirmation of cable news. Both of these entities are motivated by the same basic need for ratings ' Trumps are especially badright now ' and they both seem to know where to find them.Now that Obama's poll numbers are in tailspin ' watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2012 But among the cable television commentariat, there also seems to be an inherent bias in favor of a president bombing things. Viscerally, they interpret this to be action and leadership. Its not messy, like diplomacy. Its decisive.Pundits did this once with Trump already. After he praised the widow of a slain Navy SEAL during his speech before Congress, they called him presidential. At the time,Fusions Alex Pareene argued thatthis feedback loop could end up getting lots of people killed, because Trump loves nothing more than accolades on TV.The reactions to the presidents Syria bombing campaign suggest Pareene had a point. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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