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White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest apparently thinks the term “radical Islamic terrorism” is nothing more than a political talking point.

During an interview on CNN, Chris Cuomo asked Earnest about why the Obama administration refuses to use the term “radical Islam” when describing terrorism around the world. That’s when Earnest gave the shocking answer.

“You want to deal with this problem that happened in Orlando, you want to take it on, then call it what it is,” Cuomo said. “The president’s speech, while seen as effective on many different levels, didn’t move the needle much on Islam, radical Islamic terror.”

“People still feel [Obama] doesn’t say it because he is afraid of dealing with this problem, that he lacks a fundamental toughness about calling it what it is,” Cuomo continued. “He didn’t move the needle on that, Josh. And people even look at Orlando and say, ‘Well, this is a reflection of that weakness as well.’ Fair?”

“No, Chris. It is outrageous, actually,” Earnest said to Cuomo. “The truth of the matter is, the individuals who spend most of their time talking about radical Islamic terrorism are individuals like Republicans in the senate who voted against legislation that would prevent those individuals from being able to buy a gun. And those are individuals who not actually put forward their own strategy for keeping the country safe.”

“Using the term ‘radical Islamic extremism’ is not a counterterrorism strategy,” Earnest said. “It is a political talking point, plain and simple. And what the president of the United States has done, [he] has put forward a comprehensive strategy to squeeze [the] Islamic state in Iraq and Syria to inhibit their ability to recruit and radicalize around the globe.”

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