A few days ago, a terrorist attack in Palmyra, Syria, carried out by an ISIS-affiliated gunman killed two U.S. service members and one American civilian interpreter.
Then over the weekend, a father-and-son duo committed a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in what authorities described as an antisemitic terrorist attack potentially linked to radical Islamic extremism, with investigations probing possible Iranian connections.
The Bondi Beach incident marked a rare instance of gun violence in Australia, targeting Jewish attendees and fueling fears amid rising antisemitic incidents following global events. President Trump responded to the Syria attack by vowing “very serious retaliation” against ISIS, emphasizing that the U.S. would hunt down those responsible for harming Americans. In addressing the Bondi Beach shooting, Trump condemned it as an act of “pure antisemitism” during a White House speech that also covered the Syria incident and a domestic attack at Brown University, expressing respect to the victims without referencing radical Islam.
Some critics argue that Trump’s framing of the Australian attack as solely antisemitic overlooks the radical Islamic motivations suspected in the perpetrators’ actions, potentially downplaying the broader ideological threat. During his first term, Trump frequently used terms like “radical Islamic terrorism” and criticized predecessors for avoiding them, but observers note a softer tone in his second term on calling out such extremism explicitly. This shift has been attributed by some to Trump’s expanding business and trade dealings with countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, where he has pursued economic partnerships that may influence his rhetoric on Islam-related issues.
Despite these criticisms, Trump’s administration continues to target radical groups through military actions, such as airstrikes on ISIS leaders in other regions, though his public statements on recent events in Syria and Australia have sparked debate over consistency.
We want to ask you, the reader: is President Trump failing to call out radical Islam? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on the recent attacks.
If you cannot see the poll, click here.
