--- title: State of the Union 2015: The Terrorism Fear Factor description: Obama says fight, don't fear, ISIS canonical: https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/ author: Massimo Calabresi article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-21T12:09:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:23.439Z article:section: Politics og:title: Barack Obama Warns Against Terrorist Fear Factor in State of the Union og:description: Obama says he wants Americans to fight terrorists but not fear them og:url: https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ebf6cc1dc1e7152/69877aed35ba6f09bfc069dd/2015-01-21t021624z_1190695064_tb3eb1l0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3100 og:image:height: 1744 og:image:alt: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner watch as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 20, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Barack Obama Warns Against Terrorist Fear Factor in State of the Union twitter:description: Obama says he wants Americans to fight terrorists but not fear them twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ebf6cc1dc1e7152/69877aed35ba6f09bfc069dd/2015-01-21t021624z_1190695064_tb3eb1l0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Barack Obama Warns Against Terrorist Fear Factor in State of the Union > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c61033a8-b4d9-4dd9-a113-08bee3505442&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c61033a8-b4d9-4dd9-a113-08bee3505442&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=c61033a8-b4d9-4dd9-a113-08bee3505442&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c61033a8-b4d9-4dd9-a113-08bee3505442&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Five Years of Obama's State of the Union [Watch (HLS stream): Five Years of Obama's State of the Union](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kvaKb5nc.m3u8) (1:29)  _Published 2015-01-19. Watch 5 years of Obama’s State of the Union addresses in 90 seconds._  by [Massimo Calabresi](https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/)  ## Massimo Calabresi Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief. Jan 21, 2015 12:09 PM UTC  President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 20, 2015. President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 20, 2015. Larry Downing—Reuters  by [Massimo Calabresi](https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/)  ## Massimo Calabresi Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief. Jan 21, 2015 12:09 PM UTC President Obama had a mixed message for Congress on terrorism in his State of the Union address Tuesday: don’t fear terrorists, but do authorize me to use military force against them. Obama’s not the only one advancing that national security paradox. Leaders around the world face the same problem. Terrorists are scary—that’s their point. So how do you get support to fight them without freaking people out and handing them a win? “We lead best,” Obama said in his speech, “When we don’t let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents.” And he implicitly attacked his predecessor, George W. Bush, for failing at the task. “Will we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing?” Obama asked. **MORE** [How 7 ideas in the State of the Union would affect you](http://time.com/3670372/state-union-obama-ideas/) But Bush has been back in Texas for six years and Gallup [reports](http://www.gallup.com/poll/4909/terrorism-united-states.aspx) that 40% of Americans are very or somewhat worried that they or someone in their family will become a victim of terrorism—a slightly higher percentage than when Obama became President in 2009\. That’s particularly remarkable when you consider that an American is more likely to be struck by lightening than get hit by a terrorist. Obama and Bush may not be entirely to blame. The public’s fear of terrorists and its expectations that government will aggressively defend against them are not necessarily the fault of political leaders, says Daniel Byman, co-author of a recent Brookings Institution [analysis](http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2015/01/western-foreign-fighters-in-syria-and-iraq-byman-shapiro) of the threat posed by foreign fighters returning to the West, “Be Afraid. Be a Little Afraid.” “It’s very difficult for people to think rationally about low probability events that are high publicity,” Byman says. Furthermore, Byman says, “There are certain things we expect our government to do and one of them is to keep us safe, especially from foreign terrorists—it’s a core government function.” **MORE:** [Obama made history by using this word during the State of the Union](http://time.com/3675798/state-union-transgender/) Which doesn’t make it any less costly to over-react to terrorist threats. Western fear is very specifically what the terrorists are after, as a recruiting tool, as a means of inspiring the troops they have, and as a way of getting opponents to make costly mistakes, Byman says. Some U.S. intelligence officials look at the long-term strategic challenges posed by China, Russia and European economic weakness and think ISIS and the chaos Middle East amounts at best to a diversion and at worst to a trap. Obama suggested Tuesday that he wants to avoid such a trap. “Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group.” Yet his administration has [sought](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/broadening-the-war-against-isis/383588/) broad powers from Congress to go after ISIS, including the authority to put troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria, where the group is principally operating, and to pursue it in other countries as well. Republicans have the terrorist threat on their mind, too, of course. In her response from the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing room, Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst said, “This is where we’ll debate strategies to confront terrorism and the threats posed by Al Qaeda, ISIL, and those radicalized by them,” Ernst said. “We know threats like these can’t just be wished away. We’ve been reminded of terrorism’s reach both at home and abroad; most recently in France and Nigeria, but also in places like Canada and Australia. Our hearts go out to all the innocent victims of terrorism and their loved ones. We can only imagine the depth of their grief.” In the end, one of the most effective tools against terrorists is domestic resilience, especially an acceptance that some level of violence from terrorists, while extremely undesirable, is probably inevitable. “You have to accept that this is a part of modern life,” says Byman. “We need to resource security services, but you don’t want to make it the focus of foreign policy.” ## Transcript Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States. [ MUSIC ] Madam Speaker, Mr. Vice- President, distinguished guests, members of Congress, my fellow Americans, those of us here tonight have had our differences over the past two years and while we may not be able to bridge [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] Our biggest philosophical differences this year. Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis. Businesses have created more than three million jobs. Six million new jobs. Eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years. It should be fairly obvious that I didn't take on health care because it was good politics. [ LAUGH ] I have heard rumors that a few of you still have concerns about our new healthcare law. Already the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the growth of healthcare costs. We have come through a difficult decade, and a new year has come. Our journey moves forward. And our future is hopeful with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast toward tomorrow I know it is within our reach despite our hardships our union is strong and the state of our union is strong and the state of our union will always be strong thank you God bless you and God bless the United States of America [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/"},"headline":"Barack Obama Warns Against Terrorist Fear Factor in State of the Union","datePublished":"2015-01-21T12:09:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:05:23.439Z","description":"Obama says he wants Americans to fight terrorists but not fear them","url":"https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/","keywords":["State of the Union 2015","Barack Obama","Syria","Iraq","Terrorism","ISIS"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ebf6cc1dc1e7152/69877aed35ba6f09bfc069dd/2015-01-21t021624z_1190695064_tb3eb1l0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Massimo Calabresi","jobTitle":"Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief.","url":"https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ebf6cc1dc1e7152/69877aed35ba6f09bfc069dd/2015-01-21t021624z_1190695064_tb3eb1l0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner watch as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 20, 2015.","caption":"U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner watch as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 20, 2015.","creditText":"Larry Downing—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/state-of-the-union-2015/","name":"State of the Union 2015"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/","name":"Barack Obama Warns Against Terrorist Fear Factor in State of the Union"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Five Years of Obama's State of the Union","description":"Watch 5 years of Obama’s State of the Union addresses in 90 seconds.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/kvaKb5nc/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-19T19:19:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kvaKb5nc.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/","duration":"PT1M29S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3675918/state-of-the-union-2015-terrorism-isis-isil-fear-factor/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```