early and awkward

Obama Reportedly Called Criticism of His Syria Policy ‘Horseshit’

Photo: Pool/2013 Getty Images

Apparently President Obama has had it with the argument that he should have armed the Syrian rebels during the early days of the civil war. The old complaint was revived as the situation in Iraq worsened last week, most famously by Hillary Clinton. In an interview with The Atlantic, Clinton noted that she urged the president to intervene in Syria, and said that failing to arm the moderates “left a big vacuum,” which ISIS filled. Now the Daily Beast reports that when Republican Senator Bob Corker raised the issue during a meeting with Senate and House leaders on July 31, the president became “visibly agitated.” He concluded his lengthy response by telling Corker that the idea that early U.S. intervention would have led to a better outcome in Syria was “horseshit.” Obama wasn’t alluding to Clinton, as her remarks hadn’t been published yet, but it seems he’s so frustrated by the criticism that he’s forgetting to let his anger translator Luther do the cursing.

Obama on Syria Policy Criticism: ‘Horseshit’