Lindsey Graham called for more American troops on the ground in Syria. | AP Photo Graham: Assad telling Trump 'F you' by still using bombed Syrian base

Syrian President Bashar Assad is telling President Donald Trump "F you" by continuing to fly military aircraft from the base that United States tomahawk missiles struck on Thursday, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday morning.

Following reports of a chemical attack in Syria, the U.S. military bombed a regime air base in Homs. Since the bombing, Syrian warplanes have continued to take off from that base.


"Here's what I think Assad's telling Trump by flying from this base: 'F you.' And I think he's making a serious mistake," Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Because if you're an adversary of the United States and you don't worry about what Trump may do on any given day, then you're crazy."

The South Carolina Republican said the defeat of the Islamic State is still the top priority. Referencing World War II, he said "ISIS should be Germany, and Assad should be Japan."

Graham, who has served in the Air Force, the South Carolina Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves, said there is a legal difference between using chemical weapons and conventional bombs. He added that "we've signed all over the world saying we're not going to let one nation use weapons of mass destruction."

Graham also called for more American troops — about 5,000 to 6,000 — on the ground to "accelerate the demise of" the Islamic State. Then, he said, the U.S. can "train the opposition to go after Assad."

"You need a safe haven quickly so people can regroup inside of Syria. Then you train the opposition to go after Assad," Graham said. "That's how he's taken out by his own people, with our efforts."