President Donald Trump vowed that the United States would “retaliate” after news broke on Saturday that two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter — also American — had been killed in Syria by ISIS.

Trump responded to the news in a post first shared via his Truth Social platform, warning the perpetrators that the Syrian government shared the outrage felt by the United States.

“We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter,” Trump posted. “Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well.”

“This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump continued.

Outside the White House, Trump promised retribution as he spoke with reporters before leaving for the annual Army-Navy football game.

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🚨 JUST IN: President Trump, while leaving the White House, PROMISES to avenge the deaths of U.S. forces in Syria

“We mourn the loss of 3 great patriots in Syria… we pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones… and we WILL retaliate.” pic.twitter.com/11Oh2Lyljj

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 13, 2025

“We mourn the loss of three great patriots in Syria — you know how it happened, an ambush,” he said. “Terrible. We still have three wounded that seem to be doing pretty well. But we mourn the loss, these are great — these are three great people, and just a terrible thing.”

“Syria, by the way, was fighting along with us. The president, the new president of Syria, as they told me … is devastated by what happened. This was an ISIS attack on us and Syria,” he continued. “We pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones, very, very sad … and we WILL retaliate.”

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The president’s response came after Pentagon spokesman and Army Ranger veteran Sean Parnell shared a few details about the attack — holding back the identities of those killed in order to allow for their loved ones to be notified.

“Today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded. The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement,” Parnell posted via X. “Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region.”

“The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification. This attack is currently under active investigation,” he added.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth responded as well, warning as Trump had that the United States would ensure that the guilty party had already faced lethal consequences for the attack.

“The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces,” Hegseth declared in a follow-up post. “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

NASHVILLE—Nearly 100 students, bright-eyed and hungry for change, gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol Building Friday morning, some having driven all night to make it to the event.

There, in a room full of young conservatives, a group of Tennessee officials, including Senator Marsha Blackburn (R), announced a partnership with Turning Point USA. Soon, every high school in the state will have a chapter of Club America, TPUSA’s high school affiliate.

Club America, like all of TPUSA, aims to advance the mission of the group’s late founder, Charlie Kirk: make being a conservative cool.

“The founding of the country, the Constitution, capitalism,” TPUSA Senior Director Josh Thifault told The Daily Wire. “The branding is meant to feel like it’s something that everybody wants to be part of because I mean, who doesn’t want to be part of Club America? We wanted to create a presentation to high schools that would be very tough to say no to.”

Blackburn was joined by women’s sports activist Riley Gaines and Tennessee Senator Jack Johnson for the announcement. The Volunteer State joins Texas and Florida, which have also taken steps to launch Club America chapters throughout their states.

One of the last in-depth conversations Thifault had with Kirk before the latter was assassinated in September was about expanding Club America. Thifault said with Republican states fully backing the mission, TPUSA can get to Kirk’s goal of 20,000 chapters.

“I’m very thankful for all the commitments that Tennessee made,” he said Friday. “There’s a lot of wonderful people who worked a lot to make this happen. Also, I have to give special credit to Riley Gaines because she’s the one who, as soon as it became pretty clear we were working something out, shouted it from the rooftops.”

Gaines spent nearly an hour after the partnership was announced taking pictures with the students who traveled to Nashville for the event. The former Kentucky swimmer and new mom challenged the students to bring five friends to a Club America event and keep the movement growing.

“I think we’ve now understood that Tennessee, especially with the recent congressional race here in this district, is not immune,” Gaines said. “I think so many of us almost develop a sense of complacency because we think it can’t happen to me. Nobody is immune to the cultural chaos that is plaguing this nation and even plaguing this state.”

Credit: Anna Katherine White

One of the students who drove hours to be at the State Capitol on Friday was Riley Belt. The junior out of Providence Christian in Johnson City said Tennessee’s partnership with TPUSA makes her excited for her peers.

“Our generation is definitely a turning point,” Belt said. “We just want to be able to help teach kids like us how to help change our nation and lead us back to conservative values and back to Christ. That’s what it’s all about.”

Since Kirk’s assassination, Club America chapters in Tennessee have grown from 30 to 104. Belt helped start her school’s chapter in November. Because of the pact formed Friday, that number is only expected to grow.

“One person can’t do it on their own, but we’re surrounded by people who also share these values and want to make America what Charlie wanted it to be,” Belt said. “That’s what we’re fighting for.”