Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday in Moscow that President Trump's characterization of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as an "animal" was earned through actions taken against his civilians.
"We have heard from Washington, not only contradictory but also aggressive statements. I mean Mr. Trump, who has called Assad an animal, and from the White House, Sean Spicer, who said that Hitler hadn't used chemical weapons. How does that actually fit in with American diplomacy?" a Russian reporter asked Tillerson at a press conference.
"I think the perspective from the United States, supported by the facts that we have, are conclusive. The recent chemical weapons attack carried out in Syria was planned and it was directed and executed by Syrian regime forces," Tillerson began.
After listing various attacks against Syrians perpetrated by the Assad regime including chlorine bombs, cluster bombs, and "other types of weapons that are intended to maim and kill in the most horrific ways" he said, "I think the characterization is one that President Assad has brought upon himself."
The press conference, conducted alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, came shortly after Tillerson met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.