That’s my view. Putin nudged Asad and told him to do it to see if Trump was for real; since he seemingly bowed and accepted the stays put on his Immigration Pause by the rogue judges in Seattle and Honolulu. They now KNOW that Trump has a titanium spine and 303 stainless steel nads.
The Assad gambit was worse than a crime, it was blunder. It was intended to humiliate Trump, and it blew up in Putin’s face.
For ‘tis the sport to have the engineer.
Hoist with his own petard.