President Obama Speaks Out Against ISIS At National Prayer Breakfast

Obama Denounced ISIS At National Prayer Breakfast. On February 5, President Obama spoke out against those who “hijack religion” in order to justify terrorism during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. Condemning the Islamic State (ISIS) as a “death cult,” Obama pointed to the nondenominational phenomenon of religion being used to justify “murderous ends,” including the Crusades and Inquisition of several centuries ago. [ABC News, 2/5/15]

Conservative Media Claim Obama Insulted Christians, Compared Them To ISIS

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: Obama's “Moral Equivalency” Was “Just Stupid And Dumb.” On the February 6 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough claimed Obama's statements at the National Prayer Breakfast were an example of “moral equivalency” that was “not okay.” Scarborough went on to assert that Obama's statements were “just stupid and dumb” like something “drunk uncles sitting around the tables” would say. [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 2/6/15]

Fox's Doocy: Obama “Essentially” Said “Christians Were Just As Bad As ISIS.”  In a February 6 discussion of Obama's statements during the National Prayer breakfast on Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy claimed that “essentially” what Obama had said was that “Christians were just as bad as ISIS.” Co-host Brian Kilmeade agreed, adding that Obama was “making excuses for ISIS' behavior.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 2/6/15]

Fox's Carlson: Obama “Wanted To Bring Christianity Into The Fight” At National Prayer Breakfast. On the February 5 edition of Fox News' The Real Story, host Gretchen Carlson claimed that Obama “wanted to bring Christianity into the fight” with his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. Fox contributor Laura Ingraham argued that Obama isn't content to say “ISIS is evil,” and that he wants to make clear that “the Christians are evil too” because he wants Americans “to do penance” for the past. [Fox News, The Real Story, 2/5/15]

Fox's Eric Bolling: Obama Won't Say “Muslim Extremist,” Yet He “Indicted The Whole Christian Faith.” During the February 5 edition of Fox's The Five, co-host Eric Bolling said Obama had “indicted the whole Christian faith from a thousand years”:

BOLLING: President Obama and the administration will not say “Muslim extremist.” They just will not put those two words together. Yet they'll say “Christianity.” He just indicted the whole Christian faith from a thousand years -- it was something that happened a thousand years [ago]. [Fox News, The Five, 02/5/15]

Rush Limbaugh: Obama Tried To "Blast Christians" At Prayer Breakfast.  On his radio program, Rush Limbaugh claimed that Obama's statements at the National Prayer Breakfast had tried to “insult [Christians]” and “downplay militant Islam.” He went on, “Why in the world, when you are going to the National Prayer Breakfast, would your number one focus point be to insult the attendees” of the event? [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 2/5/15]

Erick Erickson: Obama's Speech Was “Reeking With Contempt” For Christianity." In a February 6 post on RedState, conservative blogger and Fox News contributor Erick Erickson wrote that Obama's statements at the National Prayer Breakfast showed he “is not, in any meaningful way, a Christian.” Urging the president to discontinue “the charade,” Erickson wrote that Obama “might as well come out as the atheist/agnostic that he is” since his speech was “reeking with contempt for faith in general and Christianity in particular.” [RedState, 2/6/15]

The Daily Caller: “Obama At National Prayer Breakfast: Yeah, Well, Christians Are Jerks Too.” The Daily Caller accused Obama of “scolding” National Prayer Breakfast attendees “for thinking Islamic terrorism is a problem”:

Here's the Smartest President Ever, scolding the attendees of the National Prayer Breakfast this morning for thinking Islamic terrorism is a problem.

[...]

Never mind, then. What are a few atrocities among friends? Let's just call it even.

Whew. I'm sure that when all those insurgents, militants, and freedom fighters get the translation of Obama's words today, they'll knock it off already. Glad that's over with. [The Daily Caller, 2/5/15]

Fox Contributor Allen West: “Islamapologist-in-Chief” Obama Tried To “Conflate Christianity With ISIS.” Fox News contributor Allen West responded to Obama's statements at the National Prayer Breakfast by tweeting that “the Islamapologist-in-Chief” had tried to “conflate Christianity with ISIS”:

The Islamapologist-in-Chief is at it again trying to conflate Christianity with ISIS, at the prayer breakfast no less http://t.co/3zMflPt2dt

-- Allen West (@AllenWest) February 5, 2015

[Twitter.com, 2/5/15]

Fox's Todd Starnes: Obama Used His Remarks To “Defend Islam.” Fox News radio host Todd Starnes tweeted that Obama used his speech to “defend Islam”:

Obama is using his #NationalPrayerBreakfast remarkst to defend Islam -- without actually mentioning Islam.

-- toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) February 5, 2015

Obama reminds people at the #NationalPrayerBreakfast about the violence done by Christians during the Crusades.

-- toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) February 5, 2015

[Twitter.com, 2/5/15; 2/5/15]

Drudge Hypes Prayer Breakfast Remarks: “Terrible Deeds In Name Of Christ.” The Drudge Report hyped Obama's statements at the National Prayer Breakfast by focusing on his comments on the Crusades and Inquisition instead of his condemnation of ISIS:

[Drudge Report, 2/5/15; 2/5/15]

Conservative Radio Host: Obama Was Acting “Like A Secret Muslim” At Prayer Breakfast. On the February 6 edition of The Mike Gallagher Show, conservative radio host and Fox News contributor Mike Gallagher suggested that Obama's remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast were proof that the president “had a mental breakdown.” Gallagher went on to claim that although he doesn't believe it to be true, Obama “sure acts like” he is a “secret Muslim” when he makes such statements. [Salem Radio Network, The Mike Gallagher Show, 2/6/15]