A number of presidential candidates responded to President Obama's address to the nation on the subject of terrorism on Sunday evening, many saying that he did little address the growing problem of ISIS.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio responded to the President's address shortly after it's conclusion on Fox News.
"Nothing that happened in the speech tonight is going to assuage people's fears. The same strategy that brought us to this point is the strategy he's going to continue. He honestly believes there is a coalition fighting against ISIS. This is absurd, there is no such coalition. A lot of countries have just put their names on a piece of paper. But the reality of it is that we continue to conduct limited air assaults, and you can't just defeat them from an air perspective...I feel (Obama) may have made things worse in the eyes of many Americans."
Rubio refuted the President's plea for tighter gun control, saying that tighter regulation wouldn't have done anything to prevent the attacks in California.
.@marcorubio on: "People are scared not just of these attacks but b/c of a...sense we have a Pres. who is completely overwhelmed by them."
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 7, 2015
Donald Trump live-tweeted President Obama's address, commenting on everything from the speech itself to the aesthetics of the office.
The podium in the Oval Office looks odd! Not good, but the words will be the key.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015
Hope he won't spend too much time ripping apart the 2nd. Amendment!
— 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
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz released a statement prior to the President's address, urging him to come out in support gun rights. The President did not heed Cruz's pleas, and called for tighter regulation on assault weapons and the sale of guns to those on the "no-fly list."
"... the President should resist using terrorist attacks to try to take away the rights of law-abiding Americans. Millions of Americans have chosen to protect themselves and their families by purchasing a firearm. This is their right; indeed protecting their families is their obligation. The President should be looking to stop those who would do us harm – not attempting to take away the constitutional liberties of millions of innocent Americans."
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
