Washington (CNN) While taking photos alongside military leaders and their spouses before a Thursday night dinner at the White House, President Donald Trump cryptically stated reporters were seeing "the calm before the storm."

"You guys know what this represents? Maybe it's the calm before the storm," Trump said, following a meeting with his top military commanders.

On Friday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to elaborate on what, specifically, the President meant.

"As we have said many times before ... we're never going to say in advance what the President's going to do, and as he said last night in addition to those comments you're going to have to wait and see," she said when asked by reporters if he was referring to military action.

Pressed further on how seriously the public and adversaries should take his comments, Sanders replied: "I think you can take the President protecting the American people always extremely serious. He's been very clear that that's his number one priority, and if he feels action is necessary, he will take it."

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