Donald Trump cancels South America trip because of Syria crisis

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption What is happening in the Syrian Civil War Foreign affairs reporter Oren Dorell explains who is fighting whom in the Syrian Civil War in two minutes.

WASHINGTON — President Trump is canceling this weekend's South American trip to Peru and Colombia because of the crisis over Syria, the White House said Tuesday.

Vice President Pence will take Trump's place at the Summit of Americas meeting in Lima, Peru. Pence is not scheduled to travel to Bogota, Colombia, as Trump had planned to.

"The President will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Trump is considering a military response at Syria over a recent chemical weapons attack on anti-government rebels.

The announcement also came a day after federal agents raided the home and office of a Trump personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

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Trump, who described the raid as an "attack on our country," broached the idea of dismissing Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has led an investigation into Russian activity during the 2016 presidential election.