Sens. John McCain John Sidney McCainKelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll COVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks Trump pulls into must-win Arizona trailing in polls MORE (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Loeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Quinnipiac poll shows Graham, Harrison tied in South Carolina Senate race MORE (R-S.C.) applauded President Trump for launching airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, saying he “confronted a pivotal moment” unlike former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaGOP senator blocks Schumer resolution aimed at Biden probe as tensions run high D-Day for Trump: September 29 Obama says making a voting plan is part of 'how to quarantine successfully' MORE.

“Unlike the previous administration, President Trump confronted a pivotal moment in Syria and took action,” they said in a joint statement. “For that, he deserves the support of the American people.”

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Trump on Thursday ordered missiles fired at a Syrian air base in response to a chemical attack officials say Syrian President Bashar Assad launched that killed more than 70 civilians.

The decision to take military action against Assad is a dramatic escalation in U.S. involvement in the 6-year-old civil war, which the U.S. military has never directly intervened in. It was also a notable departure for Trump, who has said he didn't want to pull the U.S. deeper into the conflict.

McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Graham, a committee member and close McCain ally, had earlier Thursday urged action to ground the Syrian air force, including striking airfields.

On Thursday night, after the strikes, they said the action sent an important message.

“We salute the skill and professionalism of the U.S. Armed Forces who carried out tonight’s strikes in Syria,” they said in a written statement. “Acting on the orders of their commander-in-chief, they have sent an important message the United States will no longer stand idly by as Assad ... slaughters innocent Syrians with chemical weapons and barrel bombs.”

They also urged Trump to build on Thursday’s strikes to create a new strategy for Syria and continue work to completely ground Assad’s air force.

“The first measure in such a strategy must be to take Assad’s air force — which is responsible not just for the latest chemical weapons attack, but countless atrocities against the Syrian people — completely out of the fight,” they said.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also issued a brief statement Thursday night supporting the strikes.

"I support the President's decision to take military action in Syria,” he wrote. “My hope is that this action will help deter future atrocities by the Assad regime."