While in the midst of a consequential visit to Cuba, in order to reestablish U.S. relations with the island nation that was fifty years in the making, President Obama said the following about the terrorist attack in Belgium.
Before I begin, please indulge me. I want to comment on the terrorist attacks that have taken place in Brussels. The thoughts and the prayers of the American people are with the people of Belgium, and we stand in solidarity with them in condemning these outrageous attacks against innocent people.
OBAMA: We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally, Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible. And this is yet another reminder that the world must unite. We must be together, regardless of nationality or race or faith in fighting against the scourge of terrorism.
We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world.
These words were hollow, as far as the President’s critics on the Right were concerned, for a number of them argued that he should have ended his historic peace-making and return to assemble teams to address the issue in Europe, as if the teams aren’t already in place and, presumably, because these teams can only be assembled while physically seated in upholstery located in the White House.
Later, yesterday, "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, who had been juxtaposing Donald Trump’s ridiculous rhetoric to the President’s statement, joined with Republican Congressman Peter King in a broadside against the President. Fortunately, a peeved Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post pushed them back.
Chris Matthews: Let’s talk about President Obama’s behavior today. I grew up in a big city, Philadelphia, which I’m proud to say—and Congressman King understands this. When there’s a big fire you want to see the mayor on the curb watching it. You want to see the police chief standing there, the fire chief, you want to see them on the curb. You don’t want to hear that they phoned it in.
Jonathan Capehart: Right??
Chris Matthews: And the President was off base today. He wasn’t there. What could he have done better than taking a minute from a baseball game? I would have done something.
Jonathan Capehart: You know Chris, I would agree with your analogy, if the horrific attack in Brussels happened in the United States. If President Obama were in Cuba and something had happened in the United States—
Chris Matthews: He should have come home?
Jonathan Capehart: Then I would agree with you.
Chris Matthews: Agree with what?
Jonhatan Capehart: Then I would agree with you that the President should be back in the United States standing with the American people. But what we’re talking about here is a terrorist attack that happened not in the United States; in Belgium. And the President is doing what Donald Trump – look Donald Trump has nothing else to do but run for President. Barack Obama is the President of the United States and has to be able to do more than one thing at one time.
Peter King: I disagree with Johnathan Capehart there. This was an attack on Western Civilization and just when New York was attacked, even Chirac said we are all New Yorkers now. Tony Blair came to the United States. We are one. We should be one in the fight against this Islamic terrorist threat. When Belgium is attacked, Paris is attacked, God forbid, any other Western European capital is attacked; really all of us are being attacked. We have to realize we’re in this together. And I think the President should have done more to show solidarity with Belgium and with Western Europe, against this attack on Western civilization.
Jonathan Caphart: Chris, here’s the thing…every time something happens, not just in the United States, but around the world. The common refrain is the President needs to do more, the President wasn’t there—
Chris Matthews: I don’t think that’s fair. This time I don’t think that’s fair.
Jonathan Capehart: No, it happens all the time Chris.
Chris Matthews: The American people have responded to what happened in Paris more than we could ever believe. That hit home in a way—Peter—Congressman King is dead right—that hit home in this country. It surprised me, because we’re pretty isolation—well not isolationist—we are pretty American about most things, we don’t focus on Europe. But, for some reason, we have decided that that country we would like to visit before we retire, after we retire—they all go over to Europe. If not Belgium, certainly France; we do feel some kinship there. We just do.
Johnathan Capehart: I’m not denying the kinship—I’m just…
Chris Matthews: You know what politics is about.
Johnathan Capehart: No, I know what politics is about—
Chris Matthews: It’s about appearing to do the right thing.
It should be pointed out that Tony Blair visited the U.S. on September 20 of 2001, and not immediately after the event as King would suggest. They are attacking the President on day one.
Also, when France suffered its terrorist attack during November of last year, President Obama, who had been in the United States, and not in Cuba, was criticized just as fiercely for not doing enough or showing enough passion. This was the President’s statement at the time, delivered from the White House:
Good evening, everybody. I just want to make a few brief comments about the attacks across Paris tonight. Once again, we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share.
We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance that the government and the people of France need to respond. France is our oldest ally. The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States time and again. And we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism.
Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people’s commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share. And those values are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening.
We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice, and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people.
Republicans responded with a torrent of criticism, due to the fact that the President was out of the country in the White House.
Breitbart.com's editor-at-large Ben Shapiro immediately criticized President Obama's response to the Paris attacks, claiming "no mention by President Obama of the Islamic nature of the attacks. That would be offensive."
Following President Obama's statements on the Paris attacks, Brietbart.com editor Joel Pollack tweeted "Obama won't call the #Paris #terror attacks "Islamist", but was perfectly willing to politicize #umpqua when barely over & cause uncertain."
Conservative author and columnist Michelle Malkin responded to President Obama's condemnation of the Paris attacks by tweeting "Really? What could Nobel Prize-winning Workplace Violence Whitewasher-in-Chief possibly contribute at this moment?"
Immediately after President Obama condemned the Paris terror attacks, RedState editor-in-chief and Fox News contributor Erick Erickson tweeted "Christians, get ready. After today in Paris I give it less than a week before Obama lectures us again about the Crusades."
We have seen this dog and pony show before. These individuals on the Right will never be satisfied as far as this President is concerned. They are afflicted with a hateful derangement that is incurable.