Obama: Politicians who want to close borders are 'scared of widows and 3-year-old orphans'
In a sharp rebuke to politicians back home, President Obama said Wednesday in Manila that it's "offensive and contrary to American values" to say that only Syrian refugees who are "proven Christians" should be allowed to enter the United States.
Obama was referring to comments made by Republican presidential candidates like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who stated Sunday only Christian refugees from Syria should be welcomed, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said Monday that Syrian orphans under 5 shouldn't be allowed into the U.S. because "they have no family here" and are not being "appropriately vetted."
"When candidates say we shouldn't admit 3-year-old orphans, that's political posturing," Obama said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. He continued: "These are the same folks often times that say they're so tough that just talking to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or staring down [ISIS] or using some additional rhetoric will solve the problem — and they're scared of widows and 3-year-old orphans."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Refugees are not quickly ushered into the U.S., the president said; their applications are vetted by intelligence agencies in a process that takes 18 to 24 months. "We are not well served when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic," Obama said. "We don't make good decisions if they're based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks." After the Boston Marathon bombing, he added, the U.S. did not "resort to fear and panic... people went to ball games that same week, and sang the national anthem. That's how you defeat [ISIS] — not trying to divide the country or suggesting that our tradition of compassion should stop now."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June



