Trump weighs in on Syrian unrest, blames Obama's past lack of action

A swiftly-moving transformation appears to be underway in Syria, with Islamist rebels having already claimed the successful seizure of Damascus as well as several other cities in a push to topple the Assad regime once and for all.

Among the world leaders weighing in on the situation over the weekend was U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who pointedly laid blame for the situation on former President Barack Obama for failing to hold Bashar al-Assad accountable for atrocities against his population when he had the chance, as Fox News reports.

Rebels take Damascus

Assad's apparent ouster has been led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist faction with prior ties to al-Qaeda, which stated over the weekend that Syria is now “free from the tyrant.

Over the weekend, rebels took control of the Sednaya prison in the Damascus suburbs, freeing groups of prisoners held by government.

Scenes in the street reveled soldiers changing out of military unforms and into civilian garb, with Syrians spilling into the streets to destroy statues that paid homage to the long-running Assad family dynasty.

Rebels also took control of Damascus International airport, solidifying the situation in a visibly palpable way.

Assad was said to have fled the capital early Sunday morning by air, though his aircraft made a bizarre series of directional maneuvers and eventually disappeared from flight trackers, sparking widespread speculation about his location -- and indeed his fate.

Trump weighs in

Taking to his Truth Social platform amid the evolving situation in the Middle East, Trump wrote, “Syria ias a mess, but is not or friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”

Trump did not stop there, and he also pointed a finger of blame at Obama for declining to enforce a self-declared “red line” for Syria back in 2013 after Asssad leveled a devastating chemical weapons attack on civilians that left at least 1,400 dead.

The president-elect said, “This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping in.”

He went on, “But now they are, like possibly Assad himself, being forced out, and it may actually be the best thing that can happen to them. There was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia, other than to make Obama look really stupid.”

Trump further opined, “Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.”

White House monitors situation

As Trump was offering his own stark assessment of the unfolding events in Syria, the White House, through spokesperson Sean Savett, indicated that the administration was “closely monitoring” the situation and remained “in contact...with regional capitals.”

“The United States, together with its partners and allies, urge de-escalation, protection of civilians and minority groups, and a serious and credible political process that can end this civil war once and for all with a political settlement consistent with UNSCR 2254,” but whether the words emanating from the lame duck Biden White House will have much, if any, impact in the coming days, only time will tell.