Story highlights Jen Psaki: When planning military action, Obama used to ask question: Then what? One hopes Trump thought of this before ordering Syria strikes

She says the American people deserve to know what they are signing up for, whether this quick decision is good for the United States

Jen Psaki, a CNN political commentator and spring fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, served as the White House communications director and State Department spokeswoman during the Obama administration. Follow her: @jrpsaki. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.

(CNN) The question President Obama often asked his national security team was: Then what?

He wanted to know what the plan was for the days and weeks after military action, what the costs and consequences would be and whether our objective would be met -- not just that day, but over the longer term.

I hope that question was asked tonight before President Donald Trump ordered an American missile strike on a Syrian air base in response to Syria's chemical weapons attack this week. It is indisputable that the chemical weapons attack was horrific. The images -- of a man holding his dead twins, of children struggling for air -- is haunting.

And it may have awakened Donald Trump to what Bashar al-Assad is capable of -- something we knew too well in the Obama administration.

JUST WATCHED US warships launch cruise missiles at Syria Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH US warships launch cruise missiles at Syria 00:33

Taking targeted military action this evening is a step that probably felt powerful to Trump. It shows action. It shows force. It shows military strength.

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