(Image via Twitter)
President Barack Obama on Tuesday responded to criticism for failing to use the phrase “radical Islam” when addressing terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic extremists.
He slammed his “friends on the other side of the aisle” for creating a “political distraction” over rhetoric.
“The main contribution of some of my friends on the other side of the aisle is to criticize this administration and me for not using the phrase ‘radical Islam,’” he began. “That’s the key, they tell us.”
“What exactly would it change?” the President asked. “Would it make ISIL less committed to trying to kill Americans? Would it bring in more allies? Is there a military strategy that is served by this? The answer is, none of the above.”
“Calling a threat by a different name does not make it go away," he argued. "This is a political distraction."
During his remarks, he attributed the deadly Orlando terror attack to easy access to guns, blaming Republicans and gun rights lobbyists for refusing to reenact certain gun control laws such as the assault weapons ban.
In addition to refusing to speak the words "radical Islam," the White House apparently won't let others say it, since audio of French Pres. Hollande saying "Islamist terrorism" vanished from the administration's official video of a press event with Pres. Obama.
Watch a short video clip from Obama's statement below.