"Why Donald Trump Did What Barack Obama Failed To Do"

8 April 2017, 10:43 | Updated: 8 April 2017, 11:12

Many have criticised Donald Trump for authorising an air strike on Syria in response to a deadly gas attack, allegedly carried out by the Assad regime.

However, Matt Frei offered three fascinating reasons on why the "impulsive but heartfelt" missile strike took place.

"Number one, he's able to cross the red line that Obama set for himself and wasn't able to cross," the LBC presenter said.

"Obama you may remember in 2013 promised military action if the Syrians used chemical weapons, they did and he didn't act."

Matt believes the second reason was to send a powerful message to China as he continued: "He called for the air strike only six minutes after his meal was Xi Jinping in the Mar-a-Lago estate had finished.

"He is sending a very powerful message to his Chinese guest saying: 'You know you may be the emerging superpower but we are the superpower and we can do stuff when the events call for stuff to be done'."

The final reason? Trump's daughter Ivanka, as Matt explained: "His nickname, Abu Ivanka al-Amriki, that's what he's been called on social media in the Arab world, the father of Ivanka the American.

"I mean this sounds kind of quite curious some might even say a little bit funny but actually don't under estimate the ability of his daughter Ivanka to influence her father.

"She was the one who first tweeted out these pictures of dead children after the chemical attack and I wouldn't be surprised if she said to her dad 'look you've got to act here, you know none of this sitting on the sidelines, I know you said you don't like military intervention but you've got to do something about this' and maybe that is one of the things that persuaded him."

Watch the compelling video above.