--- title: President Obama to Deliver Address on Terrorism Sunday description: President Obama will deliver a primetime address to the nation Sunday night on the threat of terrorism. canonical: https://time.com/4137725/barack-obama-terrorism-address-primetime/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-06T01:49:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:57.086Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Obama to Deliver Address on Terrorism og:description: Following the attacks in San Bernardino and Paris. og:url: https://time.com/4137725/barack-obama-terrorism-address-primetime/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b015e66fdfa2f9e/698873e00b72e3b8926e71de/obama3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: Obama Statement on the San Bernardino Shootings og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Obama to Deliver Address on Terrorism twitter:description: Following the attacks in San Bernardino and Paris. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b015e66fdfa2f9e/698873e00b72e3b8926e71de/obama3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama to Deliver Address on Terrorism Sunday > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=f4cc578d-c4c8-4d8d-b022-13597df647bf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Obama On San Bernardino Shootings: "We will not be terrorized" [Watch (HLS stream): Obama On San Bernardino Shootings: "We will not be terrorized"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HKPJ6E7v.m3u8) (3:32)  _Published 2015-12-05_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Dec 6, 2015 1:49 AM UTC  President Obama delivers a statement in the Oval Office at the White House on Dec. 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. President Obama delivers a statement in the Oval Office at the White House on Dec. 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. Olivier Douliery—AP by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Dec 6, 2015 1:49 AM UTC President Obama will deliver a primetime address to the nation Sunday night on the threat of terrorism, the White House said, following last week’s killing of 14 Americans in San Bernardino and the recent attacks in Paris. According to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, Obama will speak at 8 p.m. Eastern time Sunday “about the steps our government is taking to fulfill his highest priority: keeping the American people safe.” The address from the Oval Office is a particularly rare move for Obama, highlighting his administration’s efforts to portray itself as seriously engaged on the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria after the attacks. Earnest said in a statement Obama would update the country on the investigation into the California attack, which the administration has now branded an act of terror. “The President will also discuss the broader threat of terrorism, including the nature of the threat, how it has evolved, and how we will defeat it,” Earnest said. “He will reiterate his firm conviction that ISIL will be destroyed and that the United States must draw upon our values – our unwavering commitment to justice, equality and freedom – to prevail over terrorist groups that use violence to advance a destructive ideology.” In recent months, Obama has come under fire from Republicans and even some Democrats for his struggles to explain the nature of the ISIS threat and the U.S. effort to combat the extremist group. That campaign is being waged in two parts: the on-the-ground and air campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and on cyberspace and the streets of Western cities as ISIS-inspired radicalism spreads. A series of ill-times statements minimizing the group’s threat have only added to Obama’s problems. In a press conference in Turkey following the Paris attacks, Obama frustratedly lashed out at partisan critics, maintaining that his strategy against the terrorist group is sound. But Republicans have called for an escalation to the air war, while some have called for the deployment of hundreds or thousands of American troops on the ground to fight the group. Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have struggled to spot cases of homegrown extremism as ISIS has embraced more sophisticated methods of securing its communications. In the days between the Paris and California attacks, Obama and aides had repeatedly stated there was no credible and specific threat to the homeland—an indication of how the San Bernardino attackers planned their assault out of view of U.S. law enforcement. Obama has only twice previously addressed the nation live from the Oval Office, to discuss the response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and later that year to mark the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. Five years later, about 3,500 American troops have returned to Iraq to advise and assist local forces against ISIS. **Read Next:** [_President Obama: ‘We Don’t Know’ Motive Behind San Bernardino Shooting_](http://time.com/4134676/obama-san-bernardino-shooting/) ## Transcript Hi everybody, this weekend our hearts are with the people of San Bernardino, another american community shattered by unspeakable violence. We solute the first responders, the police, the SWAT teams, the EMTs who responded so quickly, with such courage and saved lives. We pray for the injured as they fight to recover from their wounds. Most of all, we stand with 14 families whose hearts are broken. We're learning more about their loved ones, the men and women, the beautiful lives that were lost. They were doing what so many of us do this time of year. Enjoying the holidays, celebrating with each other. Rejoicing in the bonds of friendship and community that bind us together as Americans. Their deaths are an absolute tragedy not just for San Bernardino but for our country. We're also learning more about the killers and we're working to get a full picture of their motives. Why they committed these revolting acts. It's important to let the investigators do their jobs, we need to know all the facts. And at my direction, Federal Law Enforcement is helping in every way that they can. We're gonna get to the bottom of this. It is entirely possible that these two attackers were radicalized to commit this act of terror, and if so, it would underscore a threat we've been focused on for years. The danger of people succumbing to violent extremist ideologies. We know that ISIS and other terrorist groups are actively encouraging people around the world and in our country to commit terrible acts of violence often times as lone wolf actors. And even as we work to prevent attacks, all of us Government, law enforcement, communities, faith leaders need to work together to prevent people from falling victim to these hateful ideologies. More broadly, this tragedy reminds us of our obligation to do everything in our power together to keep our communities safe. We know that the killers in San Bernardino used miliary style assault weapons. Weapons of war to kill as many people as they could. It's another tragic reminder that here in America it's way too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun. For example, right now people on the No Fly List can walk into a store and buy a gun. That's insane! If you're too dangerous to board a plane, you're too dangerous by definition to buy a gun. And so I'm calling on Congress to close this loophole now. We may not be able to prevent every tragedy, but at a bare minimum we shouldn't be making it so easy for potential terrorists or criminals to get their hands on a gun They could use against Americans. Today in San Bernardino, investigators are searching for answers. Across our country, law enforcement professionals are tireless. They're working around the clock, as always, to protect our communities. As President, my highest priority is the security and safety of the American people. This is work that should united us all as Americans so that we're doing everything in our power to defend our country. That's how we can honor the lives in San Bernardino, that's how we can send a message to all those who would try to hurt us. We are Americans, we will uphold our values In our free and open society. 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