White House dismisses Trump criticism as ‘small’

President Obama’s chief spokesman on Monday dismissed controversial comments from Donald Trump implying that Obama is unwilling to fight radical Islamic terrorism.

{mosads}White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters he hasn’t spoken to Obama about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s remarks and is not sure if the president has seen them.

“When you are focused on something as big as helping the country respond to the worst mass shooting in our nation’s history … it’s important not to get distracted by things that are so small,” Earnest said.

Trump sparked controversy in the aftermath of this weekend’s massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., when he called on Obama to resign from office if he doesn’t vocally acknowledge “radical Islamic terrorism” as a threat to the U.S.

Trump said on Monday that Obama might have “something else in mind” when it comes to the threat posed by extremist groups.

“We’re led by a man that either is not tough, not smart, or he’s got something else in mind,” Trump said on Fox News. 

“And the something else in mind, you know, people can’t believe it, people cannot believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can’t even mention the words ‘radical Islamic terrorism,'” the businessman said.

Trump went even further on NBC later Monday, suggesting the president might be burying his head in the sand when it comes to radical Islamic terrorism. 

Many interpreted Trump’s comments as giving voice to conspiracy theories that the president has ulterior motives because he secretly practices Islam or sympathizes with radical groups.

“There are a lot of people who think maybe he doesn’t want to get it. A lot of people think maybe he doesn’t want to know about it,” Trump said.

Earnest reiterated Obama’s thinking for avoiding the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism,” saying it “only gives the terrorists what they want, which is legitimacy,” and would undermine relations with Muslims fighting terrorism at home and abroad.

“Many of those organizations pervert the religion of Islam to justify their murderous, nihilistic agenda,” Earnest said. “The president has said that on multiple occasions. He has been very blunt about what those organizations are trying to do.”

Earnest said groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which the Orlando shooter pledged allegiance to before the attack, are “trying to claim the mantle of Islam” by calling themselves holy warriors fighting the U.S.

“They’re wrong about that. That is a false agenda, that is a myth. That is not true,” the spokesman continued.

Both the Obama and Bush administrations, he said, “have gone to great lengths to debunk that myth and to make clear that these organizations” are seeking to “push a perverted version of Islam.” 

Earnest also defended Obama’s commitment to fighting international terrorist groups, citing the U.S.-led, 66-nation coalition fighting ISIS in the Middle East.

“If you look at the president’s record, it speaks for itself, and that record includes a lot of dead terrorists,” he said.

“The fact is, this president had made his number-one priority keeping the American people safe.”

This report was updated at 2:33 p.m.