Trump warns Assad: Big price to pay for fatal Syria attack

President Donald Trump condemned a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria that killed women and children, called Syrian president Bashar Assad an "animal" and delivered a rare personal criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin for supporting the Damascus government.

As Washington worked to verify the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used, Mr Trump said there would be a "big price to pay" for resorting to outlawed weapons of mass destruction. A top White House aide, asked about the possibility of a US missile strike in response, said, "I wouldn't take anything off the table".