Obama’s Priorities

In the wake of the Islamic State-claimed terrorist bombings in Brussels, which killed over 30 people and injured hundreds, a visibly vexed Obama said defeating ISIS was his “number one priority.”

Obama was asked about the terrorist attacks at a press conference in Argentina, on the tail end of his diplomatic vacation to Cuba.

“You’ve resisted calls to alter your strategy for fighting the Islamic State and you said that your critics aren’t offering any better ideas. But the attacks keep happening. Did Brussels change anything for you?” a reporter asked.

“I think it is important to recognize that this is my number one priority. I’ve got a lot of things on my plate, but my top priority is to defeat ISIL,” Obama said.

Obama’s answer was a departure from past statements about his priorities.

Obama has used the phrase “my top priority” 29 times in his second-term public addresses, according to the American Presidency Project database.

Of those 29 instances, 28 occurred in addresses that had nothing to do with terrorism. Twenty-five instances, or 86 percent of the total, referred to the economy and domestic policy concerns like paid family leave and jobs training programs.

Obama's Priorities

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