“The first response of the United States must be outrage at the breach of the sovereignty of our nation, and apology for American values is never the right course,” Mr. Romney said, speaking at a campaign stop in Jacksonville, Fla. He added, “They clearly sent mixed messages to the world.”

His argument, that the United States must defend “our constitutional rights of speech and assembly and religion” as well as its citizens and embassies, was turned around by the administration.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton put it this way: “America’s commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear. There is no justification for this. None. Violence like this is no way to honor religion or faith.”

Mr. Obama hit back harder in an interview with CBS News.

“There’s a broader lesson to be learned here,” Mr. Obama told “60 Minutes.” “And I think -- you know, Governor Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later. And as president, one of the things I’ve learned is you can’t do that. That, you know, it’s important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts. And that you’ve thought through the ramifications before you make them.”

Mr. Romney’s extensive comments, which were debated all day long on cable television and the Internet, reinforced a statement that the Republican nominee first released on Tuesday. Mr. Romney had pledged not to criticize Mr. Obama on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, but by Tuesday evening, his campaign reversed course, releasing early a statement that had been embargoed until midnight that criticized the president’s handling of violence at the American posts.