President Obama Weighs in California Shooting Rampage
WHITFIELD: After the female shooter in the California massacre allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, President Barack Obama says the U.S. is prepared for ISIS threats. And he says we have never, I'm quoting now, "never been more protective," end quote, here at home. Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, said today that the U.S. should call this what this is, quote, "a war." CNN's Chris Frates is here to explain what both men are saying -- Chris.</s>CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. So the news that the attacks may have been inspired by ISIS is fueling Republican criticism that President Obama's strategy to defeat the terrorist group has failed. Now Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, today called Obama's response to ISIS weak and ineffective and, along with other Republicans, continues to pound on Obama for not calling ISIS-related attacks radical Islamic terrorism.</s>DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a war. We're in a war. If we are not senator and if we're not really cunning, and if we don't beat them to the punch, it's going to be very ugly over here. It's going to be very bad.</s>FRATES: So on the day of the attacks but before the possible ISIS link was discovered, Obama again downplayed the danger, saying ISIS does not pose an existential threat to the United States. And today he talked about the threat of lone wolf terrorists who are incredibly difficult to track because they work in isolation.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is entirely possible that these two attackers were radicalized to commit this act of terror. And if so, it underscores a threat we have been focused on for years, the danger of people succumbing to extremist ideologies. We know that ISIL and other terrorist groups are actively encouraging people around the world and in our country to commit terrible acts of violence. Oftentimes as lone wolf actors.</s>FRATES: But even before the massacre in California, Americans were expressing doubts about Obama's strategy. A survey out last month found that more than half of those polled disapproved of how the president has handled the issue. And that's not a good sign for Obama as his administration comes to grips, Fred, with what could be the biggest terrorist attack in America since 9/11 -- Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Frates in Washington, thank you.</s>FRATES: Thank you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, CNN has obtained police accounts of what happened the night Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald was fatally shot by a police officer. And there are discrepancies between the story and the video of that shooting, next.