By — Julie Percha Julie Percha By — Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-did-the-candidates-think-of-obamas-national-security-address Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What did the candidates think of Obama’s national security address? Politics Dec 6, 2015 10:31 PM EDT Following President Barack Obama’s address to the nation Sunday, the candidates jockeying to have his job in more than a year reacted to the president’s strategy for defeating ISIS and terror threats at home. Before the president’s Oval Office speech began, Donald Trump was prepared to respond. The podium in the Oval Office looks odd! Not good, but the words will be the key. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Is that all there is? We need a new President – FAST! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Wish Obama would say ISIS, like almost everyone else, rather than ISIL. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Should have gone after the oil years ago (like I have been saying). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Well, Obama refused to say (he just can't say it), that we are at WAR with RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISTS. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., expressed his disappointment with the president’s remarks, especially regarding the call for tighter gun control. The #Obamaspeech was an attempt to turn a necessary discussion on terrorism and national security into a ineffective gun control debate. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Let's be clear: disarming more law abiding citizens will not stop mass murderers and terrorists. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 We should be advocating for more concealed carry ability for law abiding Americans and end to unconstitutional gun free zones. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Second, we must fully examine and reform our border security, including refugee and visa programs. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 While @POTUS paid lip service to this fight, he plans to keep failed rules in place & allow tens of thousands of refugees to enter the US. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Immigration visas & refugees from countries with active terror networks must be halted while we determine how to better secure our borders. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Finally, we must stop doing the same foolish things overseas that the President advocated for throughout his remarks. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 We must stop arming and training allies of ISIS and al Qaeda. We should not double down on this failed and dangerous policy. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 We must arm our allies the Kurds and insist on Arab boots on the ground for our allies in the region. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 There are answers here to make our nation safe, but once again the President seems incapable of finding them. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 His administration is focused on gun laws that won't stop terrorists while pushing policies that will let more of them in the country. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 It's 100 percent wrong and proves the need for new leadership for our country. #StandWithRand — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 The Kentucky Republican also appeared on Yahoo News with Katie Couric immediately following the president’s address. Some candidates — like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. — took to the cable shows to criticize the president. “People are scared, not just because of these attacks, but because of a growing sense that we have a president that’s completely overwhelmed by them,” Rubio told Fox News’s Bret Baier. He slammed President Obama’s offensive strategy against ISIS, saying there is no coalition fighting the group, and that it can’t be defeated by airstrikes alone. “I’m very disappointed tonight,” he added. “I think not only did the president not make things better tonight — I fear he may have made things worse.” Huckabee also reacted to the president’s speech on Fox News: “We need to understand that we’re dealing with an enemy that is like … a cancer. And I’ve said: When you have a malignant cancer, you don’t just try to take care of the area around it. You eradicate that cancer. Then you radiate around it, so it doesn’t come back. That’s how you deal with ISIS,” Huckabee told Fox News’s Jeanine Pirro. “I don’t know anybody with a brain that can’t identify that when people follow jihad — when they believe their duty to God on this earth is to kill everybody that does not accept their caliphate — I don’t know why this president can’t say, ‘Folks, these are our enemies,’” he added. .@GovMikeHuckabee goes on @FoxNews to respond to @POTUS Oval Office address. Watch ⬇️https://t.co/cLjwI6d6C5 — Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 7, 2015 Sen. Graham sounded the drumbeat for an increased ground game against ISIS. “Another 9/11 is coming here,” he said on Fox News. “This is not about lone wolves … the people who planned Paris want to come here.” “If I’m president of the United States, we’re gonna have a ground war against ISIL.” Other candidates opted for written statements, like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. President Obama has finally been forced to abandon the political fantasy he has perpetuated for years that the threat of terrorism was receding. We need to remove the self-imposed constraints President Obama has placed on our intelligence community and military, and we need to put in place an aggressive strategy to defeat ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism as I have proposed. Unfortunately, neither he nor Hillary Clinton has the resolve to put in place such a strategy. This is the war of our time. It should not be business as usual. We need a war-time Commander-in-Chief who is ready to lead this country and the free world to victory. — Jeb Bush “The President’s strategy is not enough. Without taking the fight to ISIS on the ground, ISIS won’t be defeated. Since February I’ve been calling for a coalition to do that. We must stop delaying and do it. We delayed in helping the Syrian rebels and look where it got us, and when we decided to act it was too little. Bolder action across the board is needed because our way of life is what’s at stake. Also, when terrorists threaten us, our response can’t be to target our own constitutional rights. Our rights aren’t the problem, our unwillingness to act to defeat extremists is the problem. We need to decisively and aggressively protect our nation and our ideals. We can’t delay.” — John Kasich “On December 7, 1941, in response to Pearl Harbor, FDR did not give a partisan speech, rather he called on Americans to unite and ‘win through to absolute victory.’ “If I am elected President, I will direct the Department of Defense to destroy ISIS. And I will shut down the broken immigration system that is letting jihadists into our country. “Nothing President Obama said tonight will assist in either case.” — Ted Cruz “President Obama is right. ISIS will be destroyed with an international coalition in which Muslim troops on the ground are supported by the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and other leading powers. We must learn the lesson of Iraq. American troops should not be engaged in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. “Further, as we destroy ISIS, it is essential that we do not allow fear and division to undermine the constitutional rights that make us a free people.” — Bernie Sanders But many of the candidates critiqued the president more succinctly on Twitter … Vintage Obama: No strategy, no leadership. Politics as usual. — Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) December 7, 2015 #Obamaspeech was as believable as a hostage video. Pathetic response to the worst attack on US since 9/11 — George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki) December 7, 2015 Pres solution – 'Congress authorize what I am already doing and restrict law abiding people's right to defend themselves.' — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) December 7, 2015 … including a former Democratic candidate. https://twitter.com/JimWebbUSA/status/673689141998170112 The NewsHour political team will continue to update this post as additional candidates react to the president’s statement. And tune in to the NewsHour Monday night for further analysis of the president’s speech, including Politics Monday with NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report. By — Julie Percha Julie Percha Julie Percha is a politics producer for PBS NewsHour. @JuliePercha By — Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford is a general assignment producer for PBS NewsHour. @rachelwellford
Following President Barack Obama’s address to the nation Sunday, the candidates jockeying to have his job in more than a year reacted to the president’s strategy for defeating ISIS and terror threats at home. Before the president’s Oval Office speech began, Donald Trump was prepared to respond. The podium in the Oval Office looks odd! Not good, but the words will be the key. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Is that all there is? We need a new President – FAST! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Wish Obama would say ISIS, like almost everyone else, rather than ISIL. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Should have gone after the oil years ago (like I have been saying). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Well, Obama refused to say (he just can't say it), that we are at WAR with RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISTS. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015 Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., expressed his disappointment with the president’s remarks, especially regarding the call for tighter gun control. The #Obamaspeech was an attempt to turn a necessary discussion on terrorism and national security into a ineffective gun control debate. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Let's be clear: disarming more law abiding citizens will not stop mass murderers and terrorists. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 We should be advocating for more concealed carry ability for law abiding Americans and end to unconstitutional gun free zones. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Second, we must fully examine and reform our border security, including refugee and visa programs. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 While @POTUS paid lip service to this fight, he plans to keep failed rules in place & allow tens of thousands of refugees to enter the US. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Immigration visas & refugees from countries with active terror networks must be halted while we determine how to better secure our borders. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 Finally, we must stop doing the same foolish things overseas that the President advocated for throughout his remarks. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 We must stop arming and training allies of ISIS and al Qaeda. We should not double down on this failed and dangerous policy. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 We must arm our allies the Kurds and insist on Arab boots on the ground for our allies in the region. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 There are answers here to make our nation safe, but once again the President seems incapable of finding them. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 His administration is focused on gun laws that won't stop terrorists while pushing policies that will let more of them in the country. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 It's 100 percent wrong and proves the need for new leadership for our country. #StandWithRand — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 7, 2015 The Kentucky Republican also appeared on Yahoo News with Katie Couric immediately following the president’s address. Some candidates — like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. — took to the cable shows to criticize the president. “People are scared, not just because of these attacks, but because of a growing sense that we have a president that’s completely overwhelmed by them,” Rubio told Fox News’s Bret Baier. He slammed President Obama’s offensive strategy against ISIS, saying there is no coalition fighting the group, and that it can’t be defeated by airstrikes alone. “I’m very disappointed tonight,” he added. “I think not only did the president not make things better tonight — I fear he may have made things worse.” Huckabee also reacted to the president’s speech on Fox News: “We need to understand that we’re dealing with an enemy that is like … a cancer. And I’ve said: When you have a malignant cancer, you don’t just try to take care of the area around it. You eradicate that cancer. Then you radiate around it, so it doesn’t come back. That’s how you deal with ISIS,” Huckabee told Fox News’s Jeanine Pirro. “I don’t know anybody with a brain that can’t identify that when people follow jihad — when they believe their duty to God on this earth is to kill everybody that does not accept their caliphate — I don’t know why this president can’t say, ‘Folks, these are our enemies,’” he added. .@GovMikeHuckabee goes on @FoxNews to respond to @POTUS Oval Office address. Watch ⬇️https://t.co/cLjwI6d6C5 — Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 7, 2015 Sen. Graham sounded the drumbeat for an increased ground game against ISIS. “Another 9/11 is coming here,” he said on Fox News. “This is not about lone wolves … the people who planned Paris want to come here.” “If I’m president of the United States, we’re gonna have a ground war against ISIL.” Other candidates opted for written statements, like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. President Obama has finally been forced to abandon the political fantasy he has perpetuated for years that the threat of terrorism was receding. We need to remove the self-imposed constraints President Obama has placed on our intelligence community and military, and we need to put in place an aggressive strategy to defeat ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism as I have proposed. Unfortunately, neither he nor Hillary Clinton has the resolve to put in place such a strategy. This is the war of our time. It should not be business as usual. We need a war-time Commander-in-Chief who is ready to lead this country and the free world to victory. — Jeb Bush “The President’s strategy is not enough. Without taking the fight to ISIS on the ground, ISIS won’t be defeated. Since February I’ve been calling for a coalition to do that. We must stop delaying and do it. We delayed in helping the Syrian rebels and look where it got us, and when we decided to act it was too little. Bolder action across the board is needed because our way of life is what’s at stake. Also, when terrorists threaten us, our response can’t be to target our own constitutional rights. Our rights aren’t the problem, our unwillingness to act to defeat extremists is the problem. We need to decisively and aggressively protect our nation and our ideals. We can’t delay.” — John Kasich “On December 7, 1941, in response to Pearl Harbor, FDR did not give a partisan speech, rather he called on Americans to unite and ‘win through to absolute victory.’ “If I am elected President, I will direct the Department of Defense to destroy ISIS. And I will shut down the broken immigration system that is letting jihadists into our country. “Nothing President Obama said tonight will assist in either case.” — Ted Cruz “President Obama is right. ISIS will be destroyed with an international coalition in which Muslim troops on the ground are supported by the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and other leading powers. We must learn the lesson of Iraq. American troops should not be engaged in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. “Further, as we destroy ISIS, it is essential that we do not allow fear and division to undermine the constitutional rights that make us a free people.” — Bernie Sanders But many of the candidates critiqued the president more succinctly on Twitter … Vintage Obama: No strategy, no leadership. Politics as usual. — Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) December 7, 2015 #Obamaspeech was as believable as a hostage video. Pathetic response to the worst attack on US since 9/11 — George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki) December 7, 2015 Pres solution – 'Congress authorize what I am already doing and restrict law abiding people's right to defend themselves.' — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) December 7, 2015 … including a former Democratic candidate. https://twitter.com/JimWebbUSA/status/673689141998170112 The NewsHour political team will continue to update this post as additional candidates react to the president’s statement. And tune in to the NewsHour Monday night for further analysis of the president’s speech, including Politics Monday with NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report.