I think pragmatism is an asset most politicians have - certainly before reaching anything like high office, because without it, they don't get high office, so a sort of natural selection kicks in.
Mr Trump of course is not a politician, and seems quite proud of the fact - it may well have assisted his election.
But as Mr Trump is reluctantly learning, slowly, and not always well - although he is not a politician, politics is now his day job, and some of the advisers he ignores the rest of the time will actually have got through to him that saying nothing, and tacitly supporting Putin who supports Assaad will do his image some serious damage.
It is of course self-serving, but then what politician isn't - so at least Mr Trump's default position, and the right thing to do, are aligned for once.