Transcript for Trump condemns suspected chemical attack in Syria

Good afternoon I'm Mary Alice parks you're watching our continuing coverage on ABC news president trump there speaking at a cabinet meeting responding. To those atrocious images out of Syria. Over the weekend what looks to be an apparent chemical weapons attack. Near Damascus and the president of the United States saying that the United States would respond or make. A decision about a response. In the next 24 or 48 hours the president looked. Upset and called what's he said he had no doubt. Oven attacks he called it atrocious. Barbaric. But he also acknowledged that we were still in perhaps a fact finding stage. His tweets over the weekend and again today. Saying that there was whether or not it was Russia or Iran or Syria. He would find out and joined by Martha Raddatz are are our co anchor here at ABC Martha you were talking earlier about the fact that. They were beat its back finding investigative stage with international. Actors but I'm also curious what options military options you see as potentially on the table should the president decide to go that route. Well is remember last year what they did was that they just bombed the airfield where they believe the aircraft to taken off. That dropped those chemical weapons on those innocent civilians. This time you would think they would have to do a much broader bigger. Missile strike because of the fact that aside if they didn't believe that is what happened hearing clearly the White House believes that. If they believe he did it they're going to have to do something broader and bigger because he didn't get the message last year. Martha thank you so much and -- following this. All day we also have Cecilia bay get there on the White House lawn. Cecilia it turns out that today is also the first day of the national security advisor the new national security advisor John Bolton and what do we expect his role is in all of this what are we expect he is saying in the room in these meetings. This is his very first meeting their mere as you said we could see Yemen. That shot of the president's sitting right behind president shram his first day on the job but we know that he has. In fact been a vocal advocate in the past for airstrikes on Syria and that he's had harsh words and very public harsh words for the Obama administration. For not doing more as he sat for falling short when it came to annaly. The crisis in Syria so I expect that there is some tough conversations happening in that room right now the cameras were allowed in for the rest of the conversation they were cut off right as. The president stopped talking there that we we were kicked out I should say but you know the big question for this White House right now is whether. These new images coming out of Syria have prompted president from to change his mind on whether he wants to still. Withdraw these 2000 US troops there that are in Syria right now just days ago that was the plan that he. Had expressed very publicly so much to the frustration of many on his own national security team so I imagine that is part of the conversation that is the agent I should say rather friend senator. For this conversation happening right now. But Senator John McCain. Obviously over the weekend saying that he thought it was those words from the president talking about getting out. A Syria that might have led could send orbit shall our side to feel in bold in with senator McCain's words. Over the weekend do you think the president is responding now arts are taking to heart some of this criticism from Republican lawmakers that he should. Do more or might have in bold in some of these actors with his words last week. I I can't imagine that that president trump is. Planning as policy based on a tweet from Senator John McCain of Arizona at this stage of the game given that there seems to be no love lost between those two at this point but. But you're right you're out it's not just John McCain it's Lindsey Graham who also is drying the same conclusion and and he says. That this could be a defining moment for this presidency in this administration. And we very much know that just last year right around this time the president said that those images that we saw. Coming out of Syria of those children moved him so deeply in so personally that that is what prompted him to act the last hammer and here we are again. Talking about decision that he will make within the next 24 to 48 hours and we will see what he. Does well thank you Cecilia for all of your. Questions and reporting there from the White House. They also have one of our team members just official who has been reporting about some of the work that the National Security Council officials are doing. To try to get to the bottom of what. Might have actually happened there in Syria over the weekend still no conclusive report are conclusive assessment. From the American. Sort of intelligence officials what do we know about when they might reach a conclusion or wet what they're trying to defiant. Right well Mary Alice the president says he's gonna come up with a decision the next 2448. Hours possibly a decision as soon as tonight. The problem is as it stands they don't have conclusive evidence the images are quite clear. Anybody looking at like the president we know he's focused on his image he said as much. He be looking at the images can see there's clear indications of chemical attack. But that's not necessarily enough to go on for the US military they're going to want but one NSC official described to me as a conclusive assessment. That requires getting intelligence off the ground the problem. Is that this is this attack happened just outside Damascus which is the a sob stronghold and one year ago when this happened it was in a more. Rebel friendly area if you will so there was it was easier to get tissue samples and other things out. Other information that would lead you to conclude that this was a chemical attack so. The president and the US military frankly are under a lot of pressure now to get that information as quickly as possible so they can make an informed decision. But the president seems to think that's gonna come within the next 24 to 48 hours. Re how can they do that level of investigative work so quickly and at worst out. Well it's it's it's possible om one but one official did caution to me today that it could take. As much as a week. And you know. Parcel I think it's also important to remember. How striking it is that this happened just a week after the president said he declared at a political rally in Ohio would no warning. That he wanted to withdraw the 2000. I US special operators from from Syria as we pointed out McCain and others believe Assad was emboldened by those remarks were listening. And that this may have had in fact been a message that the president. And pulling out those 2000 troops would would be a big deal as we've reported last week. That decision to make that announcement was the president had not consulted even his most senior cabinet officials. That that idea of pulling out those 2000 troops was only being discussed among a handful of people. And he had not. Hold them before making an announcement that he that he was gonna say that which is which is quite startling so. Wilson who happens here. And also striking and no ready over the weekend the president for the first time in of one of his tweets. Going after Russian president Vladimir proving saying that prune might have been directly involved or at least. I encouraged aside for ten rightly by. By supporting that regime over the last few years we saw there again and I cabinet meeting the president saying that he will find out whether this was Syria or Russia or them working together. What do you make of the fact of the president seems to be. To changing his rhetoric here and talking directly against the Russian involvement in that country. There's been a lot of reluctance by the president to call out Vladimir Putin's directly his approach to Russia has been stay friends with the president. But keep our harsh. And you know aggressive policy measures in place. Today this weekend he deviated from that stated policy. And he went after prudent directly he said Putin is responsible. For this attack. In no uncertain terms. Putin of course is allied with the Syrians and the Iranians in the to fighting against the rebels so. That certainly ratchet up the rhetoric in a way we have yet to see from this president as it. Phased combed directly. And that for the Russian part. They warned that essentially against the US military strike saying there would be serious consequences. If there was a US military response. Now the president remember called these strikes one year ago following that separate chemical attack a warning shot essentially. Com. That time being warning. Next time being something more serious so. The big question is. Is he going to do something. And is it going to be more serious I believe there were. 56 tomahawk missiles launched last time around a year ago. Hitting a Syrian airfield where they believe the chemical strike was what took off from. I'm so. That's a big that's a big strike and Q. Upped the ante from that would would be quite significant. And will be. Following all of those questions today. And surely the rest of this week you can come back and watch the briefing round let our coverage of that in just a few hours. Makes you download the eighties and is apt thank you chest and I'm Mary Alice parks. But ABC news.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.