Then again, this is the same guy who campaigned on defeating al-Qaeda.

Via The Hill:

President Obama said Friday the U.S. had been “under serious threat” from Islamist extremists for his entire presidency, downplaying national security concerns about the gains made by Sunni extremists in Iraq.

Obama was asked in an interview with “Good Morning America” if the spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in northern Iraq dramatically increased the likelihood of a terror attack on the American homeland.

The president said he believed the U.S. had “been under serious threat my entire presidency,” tracing the danger “from those who embrace this ideology” to before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Obama conceded that the group had become more powerful in “some places,” but downplayed the idea that ISIS gains in Iraq meant the U.S. was in greater danger.

“We’ve also got a lot better at protecting ourselves,” he said.