President Barack Obama told the nation on Sunday that the recent shooting of 14 victims in California was an “act of terrorism”, as he warned that the threat from terrorism had “evolved into a new phase”.
Speaking from the Oval Office in a rare prime time address, Mr Obama said there was no evidence that the couple suspected of the massacre had belonged to a terror group, but that it was clear they had “embraced a perverted interpretation of Islam that calls for war against America and the West”.
In a speech designed to counter criticism that he was not doing enough to tackle terrorism amid the rise of Isis, particularly following the recent attacks in Paris, Mr Obama said that the US would “prevail by being strong and smart”.