Roughly 24 hours after several terrorist attacks in Paris left at least 129 people dead and 200 injured, the three remaining Democrat presidential candidates took the stage for a debate; its first segment focusing on the threat of ISIS and al-Qaeda. Bernie Sanders, whose candidacy focuses on income inequality and money in politics, did an admirable—but notable—job dodging the topic of global terrorism.

When CBS moderator John Dickinson asked Sanders the inevitable first question—why are you running for president?—the Vermont senator acknowledged the attack: “Well, John, let me concur with you and with all Americans who are shocked and disgusted by what we saw in Paris yesterday. Together, leading the world, this country will rid our planet of this barbarous organization called ISIS.”

Sanders was in a difficult political position: as a candidate who is decidedly not in favor of expanding U.S. military operations, he had to try to acknowledge that he understood the threat of attacks like those in Paris without appearing a hawkish war advocate. That’s why he followed his one-line acknowledgment of the Paris attacks with . . . this:

I'm running for president because as I go around this nation, I talk to a lot of people, and what I hear is people's concern that the economy we have is a rigged economy. People are working longer hours for lower wage, and almost all of the new income and wealth goes to the top 1 percent. And then on top of that, we’ve got a corrupt campaign finance system in which millionaires and billionaires are pouring huge sums of money into super PACs heavily influencing the political process. What my campaign is about is a political revolution. Millions of people standing up and saying, “Enough is enough. Our government belongs to all of us and not just the hand full of billionaires.”

Soon afterwards, Dickinson brought up Sanders’ belief that climate change was the biggest threat to America, which Sanders doubled down on: “In fact, climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism. And if we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you're going to see countries all over the world—this is what the C.I.A. says—they’re going to be struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops ask you're going to see all kinds of international conflict.”

“But, of course, international terrorism is a major issue that we have got to address today,” he quickly added, but then went on to claim that Hillary Clinton, who voted in favor of the Iraqi invasion as a Senator, was partially responsible for the destabilization of the region and the rise of ISIS.

“Now, in fact, what we have got to do—and I think there is widespread agreement here—is the United States cannot do it alone,” he finally said, arguing that while the U.S. should lead an international coalition in the fight against ISIS, which he deemed “a danger to modern society”, but demanded that Muslim countries should be more deeply involved, naming Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Jordan to step up in what he termed "a battle for the soul of Islam."

“I think that is very unfair to a few you mentioned,” Clinton responded, pointing out that Jordan “has put a lot on the line for the United States, has also taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria and has been therefore subjected to threats and attacks by extremists themselves.”

Later, when he was asked about what he would do regarding the Syrian refugee crisis—with Dickinson pointing out that Sanders had been “vague” on his policy suggestion as to how many refugees to accept—Sanders pivoted to . . . the need for “major reform in the military, making it more cost effective, but also focusing on the real crisis that faces us.”