President Donald Trump cancelled his upcoming trip to South America on Tuesday, and will send Vice President Mike Pence in his place.
“President Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru or travel to Bogota, Colombia as originally scheduled,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “At the President’s request, the Vice President will travel in his stead. The President will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.”
On Saturday, dozens of Syrians were killed in an alleged chemical attack in the city of Douma. Trump and most Western leaders denounced the attacks, though the Syrian government dismissed the allegations, saying that reports of the attacks are “fabrications.”